Guy Ritchie en noviembre del año pasado se divorció de Madonna. Esta peli fue lanzada en diciembre del año pasado pero su lanzamiento estaba preparado para octubre. No sólo el lanzamiento fue el más afectado en la peli creo Ritchie como director tiene un producto iconoclasta que raya muy fuerte en esta ocación con aburrimiento y poca sorpresa.

Una peli sin ritmo, sin un protagonista claro, sin una consistencia bien establecida, una historia medianamente hilada pero con todos sus personajes súper desarticulados. La mayoría de la peli viene sin audio protagonista y es precisamente cuando hay un “flashback” o momento recordado en el pasado de la historia cuando se muestra el robo a los rusos donde se prende la banda sonora y volvemos a recordar que es una peli del director, con humor negro, excelentes tomas, valga la repetición, una muy buena banda sonora.

El reparto tampoco es el mismo equipo de siempre de Ritchie, se siente la falta de su actor fetiche Jason Statham que aunque encasillado en el mismo papel siempre es mejor narrador que Mark Strong o Gerard Butler quien está completamente perdido en la historia. El reparto lo encierran el magnífico Tom Wilkinson que es el que medianamente salva la peli y la bellísima Thandie Newton que definitivamente paga la boleta o, en mi caso el alquiler.

No es más lo que se pueda decir de esta peli más allá que los créditos son hermosamente manufacturados y que esperemos que esté completamente recuperado de su divorcio para que Sherlock su siguiente peli sea más interesante.

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Guy Ritchie returns to form with this cockney crime caper starring Gerard Butler and Tom Wilkinson. Lenny Cole (Wilkinson) is a bungling London crime boss who calls the shots in London’s… Guy Ritchie returns to form with this cockney crime caper starring Gerard Butler and Tom Wilkinson. Lenny Cole (Wilkinson) is a bungling London crime boss who calls the shots in London’s underworld. We learn all about Lenny from Archie (Mark Strong)–his second in command–who serves as the film’s sly narrator. When a wealthy Russian property dealer by the name of Uri (Karel Roden) looks to Lenny for help on a major new deal, Lenny is eager to assist (for a very large fee, of course). Uri agrees to pay, and as a show of faith, he insists that Lenny borrow his “lucky painting.” Uri then asks his accountant, Stella (Thandie Newton), to transfer the money to Lenny, but things quickly go awry when two crooks known as Mumbles (Idris Elba) and One Two (Butler) intercept the money before it reaches him. To make matters worse, the lucky painting has mysteriously been stolen, and the number one suspect is a crack-addicted pop star, Johnny Quid, who is presumed dead. Violent hijinks ensue as Lenny desperately tries to locate the painting, Uri calls in some sadistic thugs to recover his money, and Johnny Quid suddenly resurfaces. Men are battered with golf clubs, fed to crawfish, and attacked with machetes, and a surprise twist ending neatly ties up the whole bloody mess. Fans of Ritchie will likely be very pleased to see him return to his SNATCH-style of filmmaking. ROCKNROLLA has the same frenetic, humorous edge as the film that made him famous, though critics might complain that this particular style is starting to look a little dusty. Regardless, ROCKNROLLA features many fine performances, and once you get past the rather slow beginning, it kicks off into an entertaining and amusing romp.

The Movie Overdose attempts to contain the apocalypse with a review of Roland Emmerich’s 2012. We chat about how we would change Eddie Murphy for the better, what kind of sequel we want for Star Trek and whether we are glad to see Sean Connery coming back, if only in voice form. Tom slightly dampens the praise given to An Education and Sam revels in the madness of Running Scared and the flawed ambition of Dogma. The conclusion involves a discussion of actors that, no matter what, we always look forward to seeing on screen.

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Operazione Valchiria è un film del 2008 thriller storico ambientato nella Germania nazista durante la seconda guerra mondiale. Il film descrive il momento in cui degli ufficiali dell’esercito tedesco preparano il piano, fino alla messa in atto, per assassinare Adolf Hitler e di utilizzare l’operazione Valchiria come piano nazionale di emergenza per prendere il controllo del paese.

Leggi altre notizie su: | Bryan Singer | Tom Cruise | Kenneth Branagh | Bill Nighy | Tom Wilkinson

Boa história, boa jogada da empresa que seria a vítima, bom final.

I enjoyed this movie and may be one of the few that was not annoyed by the idea of Tom Cruise in this role.  As I’m sure, most people know this movie is about the failed assassination attempt of Adolf Hitler. Of course it failed but despite the inevitable conclusion the film maintains itself throughout.

The acting was very good in most respects. I actually enjoyed Tom Cruise’s performance but he did not take the lead as strongly as he should have. He did what had to be done but he could have elevated this movie like he has done to others in the past. His role needed that maverick type attitude like he provided in Born On the Fourth of July. His non-German accent was not an issue, rather it was the strength that he displayed in his performance that was disappointing to many. This movie was certainly a chance for him to build his career back up to a more serious level but he clearly did not impress too many with his role as Stauffenburg to do that. Still, he was enjoyable in some extent to watch, at least to me.

The supporting cast though was great. Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy and Tom Wilkinson were all pivotal in the success of this movie and they certainly filled in perfectly. All around they were great performances but who I especially liked was Christian Berkel whom also appeared in Downfall as well as Jamie Parker.

The directing of Bryan Singer was sublime. He provided an amazing amount of suspense to a movie that (hopefully) everyone knew the ending to. For a good half hour I was totally frozen watching as the plot unfolded. I also thought the movie was paced very well and he brought the best out of the supporting cast. Of course it was shot very well with a great production throughout. The movie was written very nicely but as many people have said, it would have been great if there was more emotional depth added to the characters to make the audience feel more attached them.

This movie certainly had a lot of potential but it stayed within the realm of mostly a suspense action movie. It’s carried through by its well picked supporting cast. Valkryie reminded me of a WWII movie from the 50s and 60s with its style and pacing. It’s very interesting to think about what ifs’ and it’s a bit fascinating in at least the context of the movie to think they almost pulled off the impossible without killing Hitler. Valkryie perfectly illustrates how the smallest of things can have the biggest impact.

DVD Top 10.
Bestsellerliste der Woche
von Illuminati bis State of Play

Illuminati:
Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) entdeckt Beweise, dass die mächtigste Untergrundbewegung der Geschichte, ein uralter konspirativer Geheimbund, den man als ‘Die Illuminati’ kennt, wiederauferstanden ist. Kurz darauf wird er damit konfrontiert, dass die katholische Kirche, der zutiefst verhasste Erzfeind der Illuminaten, einer tödlichen, existenzvernichtenden Bedrohung ausgesetzt ist…

Nachts im Museum 2:
Seine Tage als Museumswärter sind passé: Larry Daley ist als Erfinder nutzloser Dinge erfolgreich, kehrt jedoch ins Museum zurück, als er erfährt, dass die seinerzeit zu Leben erwachten Ausstellungsstücke in den Keller des Smithsonian in New York verfrachtet werden sollen. Ruhe ist allerdings auch dort nicht angesagt, weil auch die mystische Tafel von Akhmenrah, die den Exponaten Leben einhaucht, versehentlich zum neuen Ausstellungsort transportiert wurde. Nun bricht dort das Chaos aus, und Larry muss für Ordnung sorgen…

Slumdog Millionär:
Glauben Sie an das Schicksal? Für Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) ist es der größte Tag seines bisherigen Lebens. Nur noch eine Frage trennt ihn vom 20 Millionen Rupien-Hauptgewinn in Indiens TV- Show ‘Wer wird Millionär?’

Der Womanizer:
Der Junggeselle Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) gehört zu den Typen, die drei Freundinnen den Laufpass geben. Gleichzeitig. Per Telefonkonferenz. Auf der Hochzeitsfeier seines Bruders hat er also nur ein Ziel: Er will die einzige Brautjungfer herumkriegen, die er bisher irgendwie übersehen hat. Doch der Geist seines verstorbenen Onkels Wayne (Michael Douglas) – der Connor beigebracht hat, die Frauen zu wechseln wie die Hemden – verfolgt ein ganz anderes Ziel…

Star Trek – Die Zukunft hat begonnen:
James T. Kirk ist ein rebellischer Hitzkopf im amerikanischen Niemandsland, der nie den Tod seines Vaters bei einem Angriff eines romulanischen Raumschiffs verkraftet hat. Nach einer seiner Prügeleien fordert ihn Captain Pike, einst ein Freund seines verstorbenen Vaters, auf, der Sternenflotte beizutreten. Dort macht sich Kirk zunächst keine Freunde, bis ihn eine Mission zwingt, endlich Verantwortung zu übernehmen: der Romulaner Nero bedroht Vulkan, den Heimatplaneten von Kirks späterem Weggefährten Spock…

Transformers 2:
Nachdem Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) die Welt mit Hilfe der gutmütigen Autobots vor den bösartigen Decepticons gerettet hat, freut er sich auf ein normales Leben. Als er aufs College geht, lässt er nicht nur Freundin Mikaela (Megan Fox) zurück…

X-Men Origins: Wolverine:
Hugh Jackman schlüpft wieder in die Rolle, die ihn zum Superstar machte: Wolverine – der Mann mit den unverkennbaren Stahlklingen, bemerkenswerten Selbstheilungskräften, ruppigem Charme und einer gehörigen Portion trockenem Humor. ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ erzählt die Vorgeschichte Logans mit Augenmerk auf seine mysteriöse Vergangenheit, seine komplexe Beziehung zu Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber) und das ominöse Weapon X-Programm. Der Zuschauer erfährt, wer Wolverine wirklich ist…

Duplicity:
CIA-Offizier Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts) und MI6-Agent Ray Koval (Clive Owen) standen früher im Geheimdienst ihrer Regierungen. Derzeit haben sie in die Privatwirtschaft gewechselt, um mit lukrativen Verträgen das meiste aus dem Kalten Krieg herauszuholen. Beide jagen jeweils für ihre Bosse Tully (Tom Wilkinson) und Garsik (Paul Giamatti) einem milliardenschweren Patent nach. Keiner ahnt, dass sie eine heimliche Affäre und eigene Pläne haben…

Männersache:
Tagsüber arbeitet Paul (Mario Barth) in einer Berliner Zoohandlung und abends an seiner Karriere als Komiker. Zugegeben, seine Auftritte laufen mies… bis Paul anfängt, Witze über seinen besten Freund Hotte (Dieter Tappert) und dessen Freundin Susi (Anja Kling) zu reißen. Auf einmal läuft es auf der Bühne: Pauls Gags über Hottes Beziehungsgeschichten, nicht enden wollende Shopping-Orgien von Susi und den Pärchen Kaffeeklatsch bei den Schwiegereltern sind ein Renner…

State of Play – Stand der Dinge:
Ein junger aufstrebender Politiker und ein Washingtoner Enthüllungsreporter finden sich mitten im Epizentrum einer Reihe von Morden wieder, die nur scheinbar nichts miteinander zu tun haben. Der Kongressabgeordnete Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) ist Hoffnung und Zukunft seiner Partei – ein aussichtsreicher und ehrenhafter Newcomer, unter anderem im Vorsitz des Komitees für Verteidigungsausgaben…

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“Too many guys think I’m a concept, or I complete them, or I’m gonna make them alive. But I’m just a fucked-up girl who’s lookin’ for my own peace of mind; don’t assign me yours.” ~~Clementine Kruczynski

If it’s true that the course of love doesn’t run smooth, it’s also true that our memories of that trip don’t follow a timeline. In the beginning, there are the obvious landmarks: the first meeting, a tentative investigation; the first conversation; the first kiss. But once affection sours, time goes full Cuisinart on those recollections, scrambling them so hopelessly we couldn’t reorganize them if we tried.

Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) experience this reality not once but again and again in Michel Gondry’s tender and achingly beautiful ”Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” a film with a script that mimics the curious effects of time upon our memories of lost love. Here, the end and the beginning bleed together, and they also cloud the way we see everything in the middle because the boundary lines are loose and fuzzy. Charlie Kaufman, who penned the knotty script, seems intent on drawing us in by providing all the answers and letting us ferret out the equation.

What’s so wonderfully original and mesmerizing about “Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind” is that Joel and Clementine are in the exact same position we are. Both find themselves in an odd situation with the facts of the present, yet they have no idea how they got there. And it takes quite some time before we figure out how they did, either. Since their story can’t quite be told in a linear fashion, let’s start somewhere in the muddy middle: On an uncharacteristic whim, timid loner Joel skips work and hops a train to Montauk. The ride back leads him to meet Clementine, a chatty free spirit with unruly blue hair (“I apply my personality in a paste,” she offers brightly) who’s sure she’s met Joel before. There’s an unexpected connection that threatens to become more, and that’s when everything goes pear-shaped: Seems Joel and Clem not only know each other, they used to be lovers. The reason neither remembers this has to do with Lacuna, Inc., an odd little business run by Dr. Howard Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson) that specializes in erasing painful memories.

Additional stories funnel into ”Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” involving Patrick (Elijah Wood) and Stan (the invaluable Mark Ruffalo), Lacuna’s memory-vanquishing technicians, and Mary (Kirsten Dunst), Mierzwiak’s receptionist. Their lives intersect with Joel’s because they’re charged with erasing Clementine from his mind, and all three are so wrapped up in their own strange realities that they don’t realize Joel wants to stop the procedure right in the middle of it. Not that his protests matter, really; he’s hidden too far in his own mind to be heard. This makes his anguish all the more wrenching, for who hasn’t let heartbreak lead to a bad choice screaming to be taken back?

There are, perhaps, no appropriate words to describe what Carrey and Winslet bring to this bittersweet examination of love. The kooky plot requires them to anchor their characters in reality, make them human enough for us to suffer their hurts and feel their joy. Carrey quiets himself enormously to play Joel, a lonely man who guards his heart closely. Winslet’s more open but no less touching as Clementine, a woman whose flightiness covers a deep core of insecurity and self-awareness. Together, with their stirring chemistry, they make Joel and Clementine’s love story one of the greatest ever told. 

Worry not, though, that “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is some kind of repackaged epic romance with a comedic twist. Elements of the universal exist, certainly, but with Gondry behind the camera this is love story that feels almost shockingly intimate. We catch glimpses of under-the-cover confessions, lazy afternoon strolls, early dinners uncomfortable in their cold silence — the things no one ever sees. All the shots are so gorgeously lensed, so precisely placed and edited, that what we have is a story told in scattered Polaroids. And sometimes it’s the snapshots, creased and smudged with fingerprints, we keep closest to our hearts.

I recently screened the 2001 film In the Bedroom directed by Todd Field. This was my second time viewing the film and it is wonderful! One word to describe this film: TENSE.

The movie is about a soon-to-be-divorced woman played by Marisa Tomei. She does such a wonderful job portraying the confident, yet vulnerable Natalie. She is dating a much younger man, Nick Stahl’s character Frank. Spoiler: Natalie’s abusive husband kills Frank.

In steps the real tension. There is a lot between Natalie and Frank’s parents. His parents, Ruth and Matt, are played by actors Tom  Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek. So as you can see the cast was stacked! Besides tension between Natalie and the parents, there is a lot of tension between the parents themselves. They both blame each other for Frank’s death, before finally coming together to better understand the situation. There is understandable tension between the killer, Richard and the family whose son he murdered.

Matt Fowler, father of the deceased, is faced with a really tough decision to make. Does he take revenge into his own hands, or leave it up to the legal system? Well he certainly does one of those two, which I will be kind and not reveal to you. But the viewer really empathizes with Matt and understands why he makes his choice.

The director Todd Field has acted in a wide range of T.V. and film. He has directed a handful of movies, including the 2006 hit Little Children (which I highly recommend).

Duplicity (2009)
★★★ / ★★★★

Writer-director Tony Gilroy’s spy film “Duplicity” greatly benefits from the two very charismatic leads, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. The two met four years ago when both were on a mission in Dubai. Unknowing Owen, an MI6 agent at the time, hits on Roberts whose mission was to steal some documents for the CIA. After a one-night stand, Roberts leaves and the film shows the two of them meeting again in New York four years later in very amusing circumstances. This is not the kind of spy movie where objects blow up and people end up dying. The target audience of this picture are those who are into astute and often confusing storytelling that eventually makes more and more sense toward the end. I mentioned that this was confusing but I meant it in a very good way. It managed to keep me guessing from beginning to end because it kept pulling the rug from under my feet. I was invested in the two lead characters because I constantly had to reevaluate who was trying to trick who and up to what point they start to trust each other (or if it’s ever possible). After all, the two are in a relationship and trust is a requisite in order for such a thing to be successful. I liked the suppporting characters, mainly Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti as two rival major pharmaceutical executives. Their intense performances were so ridiculous to the point where I ended up chuckling or laughing out loud whenever they were on screen. While the picture did have its slow moments, such scenes were a nice break from the constant one-upmanship between the timeless Roberts and suave Owen. There were times where I almost preferred watching them banter in the bedroom instead of being on the outside playing professionals. As for its ending, I thought it was wonderful; there was something very comical about the whole thing for two reasons: I didn’t see it coming and it was very ironic. Overall, the film had a nice flow to it because it had a nice balance of light thrills and genuine dramatic weight. I very much enjoyed Owen and Roberts in “Closer” as well as in this film. Hopefully, in the near future, they’ll team up again to spice up the screen.

Movies have always challenged us and given us unique perspectives on things we didn’t consider. Some of the greatest arguments of our time have been fought out on the silver screen. From abortion to evolution, these memorable debates are powerful and always deliver both sides of the story. Emily Rose’s story is one of those debates.

Inspired by a true story, Father Richard Moore (Tom Wilkinson) is put on trial for the negligent homicide of 19-year old Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter). The priest’s claim is that Emily had been possessed by the devil and that an exorcism had to be performed to release the devil’s grasp on the girl. The young girl died.

Defending Moore the priest is rising courtroom star Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) who has a difficulty believing the priest’s story at the beginning. The prosecuting attorney (Campbell Scott), is a devote Methodist who has to present the scientific side of the case and debunk the priest’s claims.

“The Exorcism of Emily Rose” is a hard film to get your head around. The film is smart, creepy, compelling and has a tasty argument to send to trial but why didn’t it hit home for me.

As the film progressed I often found myself remembering scenes from the 1960 classic “Inherit the Wind” where a teacher is put on trial for teaching evolution in a devote religious system. The film was a blood-boiler as both sides of creationism and evolution were debated in fiery detail. It is still one of the best courtroom films ever made.

I think the problem I had with “Emily Rose” was that I found the courtroom scenes in the film to be rudimentary and photographed rather dully. After seeing countless court scenes on TV and film it was hard to get into this one even if the case was intriguing. There was no passion in the court proceedings but just seemed to be a rigorous game.

This lack of passion in an intriguing case reminded me of the controversial 1989 TV movie “Roe vs. Wade” where a pregnant mother (Holly Hunter) wants to have an abortion in Texas, where the procedure is illegal. The film itself had a good argument but the film itself is heavily flawed and never is each side of the case fairly represented. Especially the prosecution since the film is biased to one side. I felt the same was evident in “Emily Rose”.

To counter-measure the court, you have quite excellent flashback sequences that can be quite unnerving and often stray us away from the factual case. The flashbacks give more meaning to the priest’s case while stealing the audience away from believing the other side of the story.

Even if the story isn’t presented as powerful as it could have been I did like the performances of both Linney and Wilkinson. Newcomer Jennifer Carpenter “no-holds-barred” contortionist performance as Emily Rose is jarring and brilliant. I liked Carpenter but found that the filmmakers let her scenes get way over the top in portions.

I think the film can best be described as “Inherit the Wind” meets “The Exorcist”. Even though the film is probably not what you would expect I wished it was more powerful and delivered a more even handed debate.

3 out of 5

So Says the Soothsayer

Sabem… sempre gostei dos filmes do Guy Ritchie. “Jogos, trapaças e dois canos fumegantes” e “Snatch” são ótimos filmes.

Ocorre que, com Rock’n'rolla foi diferente. Guy me decepcionou e muito. Sem querer ele demonstrou mais uma vez que a sua fórmula é uma só. Guy Ritchie é quase como um Dan Brown dos cinemas. Ele só escreve de um jeito e só sabe contar as histórias de um jeito. Tem sempre um cara super mau, tem sempre um grupo de amigos pé rapados que pisam no calo de quem nem sabem quem e se dão mal e tem sempre uma série de coincidências que ninguém sabe explicar.

Sempre o mesmo. Sempre as mesmas gírias. E sempre engraçado, com piadas que nem todo mundo acharia graça.

Rock’n'Rolla é um filme que vale à pena ver e vai ter continuação. Aliás, vale à pena ver se vc não viu nenhum outro filme de Ritchie. Se já, nem se dê ao trabalho…

Director:
Guy Ritchie
Writer:
Guy Ritchie (written by)
Release Date:
31 October 2008 (Brazil)

Cast (Cast overview, first billed only) Gerard Butler … One Two
Tom Wilkinson … Lenny Cole
Thandie Newton … Stella
Mark Strong … Archy
Idris Elba … Mumbles
Tom Hardy … Handsome Bob
Karel Roden … Uri Omovich
Toby Kebbell … Johnny Quid
Jeremy Piven … Roman
Ludacris … Mickey (as Chris Bridges)
Jimi Mistry … Councillor
Matt King … Cookie
Geoff Bell … Fred the Head
Dragan Micanovic … Victor
Michael Ryan … Pete

Guy Ritchie doing what he does best.

Thandie Newton and Gerard Butler co-star in director Guy Ritchie’s crime thriller about crooks from London’s underworld who set out to nab millions of dollars left for the taking when a Russian mobster’s real estate scam falls apart. Tom Wilkinson plays a powerful crime boss, with Jeremy Piven and rapper Ludacris appearing as record producers who get strong-armed into looking for a drug-addicted rock star.

It’s good to see Guy Ritchie get back on the horse with this smoothly crafted tale of greed and deceit among thieves. Seeing the cast selection made me feel like Ritchie was a magical pizza-maker who somehow knew my favorite toppings without having to even take my order. Each ingredient combined for a perfect medley to my movie taste buds.

Now for me I loved Guy Ritchie’s previous gangster-comedy films, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, are my two favorites of all-time. Now RocknRolla, is like those two but with a little less flair and charm that his last two have held up so well.

The film’s jokes aren’t as funny until you actually think about them and then you finally get them. This is a lot of different humor from Guy Ritchie, as the jokes are far more blatant and obvious, at some points. I never thought thought that Ritchie would go for the gay jokes, but in this film I guess he does, and there actually pretty funny.

The best thing about all of Ricthie’s stories is that no matter how confusing they can get, they seem to all come together by the end. At times watching RocknRolla, I was wondering if or even how this was all going to come all together. It does and I was really shocked and overall I thought it was a good turn out.

I just felt like this film could’ve been a lot more dynamic and different from Ritchie’s others. Still, it isn’t better than them two and it really isn’t that different. I’m glad that Ritchie went back to his London-based roots cause obviously he’s amazing at them, but I just wanted something new and a little bit more than what I got.

I liked the cast a lot. Gerard Butler does a great job here, and he and Idris Elba, actually do have great chemistry as two crooks. Thandie Newtown’s character wasn’t that interesting and I thought she could’ve been a better character. But the one that really shines here is Tom Wilkinson, who really does make a great villain, that we all want to see dead but also we kind of like because of his smart way of business making. Never would I have thought a film with Ludacris and Tom Wilkinson together actually be good.

Consensus: RockNRolla goes back to Ricthie’s roots, and is a credible caper gangster comedy. It just doesn’t feature anything new and seems like overall this genre may be soon to die out.

6.5/10=Rentall!!!

I actually like Shakespeare now because of this film.

What if a penniless William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) fell in love with a noblewoman (Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow) while struggling to write a comedy with the unlikely title “Romeo and Ethel the Sea Pirate’s Daughter?” Might the emotional turmoil inspire him to recraft the play into a tragedy with a more familiar-sounding name?

I mostly heard of this film before, because at the 1998 Oscars it beat out one of my favorite movies of all-time, Saving Private Ryan, for a the Best Picture Oscar. I was ready to see this film and tear it apart because I thought it was bogus that this ended up winning. But now that I’ve seen this I don’t know who deserved to win.

This is a wonderful film in all ways possible. Director John Madden really does create this vibrant fun new world filled with love literature, and most of all Shakespeare. Most of the characters and the events that happen are mostly fictional, but Madden does such a great job at showing how it all comes together at the end, and you have a great blend of mixing fiction with reality.

The most props of this film have to go to the screenplay. Throughout the whole film, I was so taken away by the wit of all these jokes and I liked how the olde english language was there but still made for the “modern” ear to understand. Though there is a lot of seriousness I felt there was also a lot of wonderful comedy that really did brighten up the tone and make this film a lot more enjoyable.

The most beautiful thing about this film really does come from the romance between Viola and Shakespeare which is really what the film is centered on. It feels and looks real, as you can see what really happens to a person when they fall in love and where the inspiration of it lies within Shakespeare’s work.

Gwyneth Paltrow turns in a magnificent Oscar-winning performance as Viola, as she shows a lot of depth of what seemed like a one-note character, and really does stay on top with the rest of these characters on screen. The whole cast does a great job but I feel like the one that really does the best job and doesn’t get any credit for it is Joseph Fiennes. If there is anyone in the world I wanted to meet it was Shakespeare, and Fiennes plays this person we already know and allow him to have more excitement and boldness added to his character, so that we cheer and love him even more.

The only problem I had with this film was very minor and that it didn’t feature much of the play itself and focused more on the romance. I wanted to know more of what happened behind the scenes of one of the most famous plays of all-time, and I didn’t get that much of it.

Consensus: One of the most delightfully charming romantic comedies of all time. With a clever script, wonderful acting, and perfect direction, Shakespeare In Love hits the spot on every level.

9.5/10=Full Priceee!!!

Der Womanizer

Bitte Lächeln – und Knips! Machen Sie sich ein Bild von Mode-Fotograf Connor, der seine Freiheit liebt und seine Freundinnen nach Lust und Laune abserviert.

In der Nacht der Ex-Freundinnen führen ihm drei ganz besondere Geister alle seine gescheiterten Beziehungen vor: Der Womanizer.

Auch eine junge Bankangestellte bekommt es mit übernatürlichen Erscheinungen zu tun, als eine alte Zigeunerin sie mit einem mächtigen Fluch belegt. Ob Drag Me to Hell der Verbannung entkommen kann, flüstert Video Buster Ihnen in der Filmkritik.

Gespenstisch geht es dann weiter, denn dort werfen die Halloween-Collection und ein Star aus Trick’r Treat ihre Schatten voraus.

Top-Film: Der Womanizer
Der Junggeselle Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) gehört zu den Typen, die drei Freundinnen den Laufpass geben. Gleichzeitig. Per Telefonkonferenz. Auf der Hochzeitsfeier seines Bruders hat er also nur ein Ziel: Er will die einzige Brautjungfer herumkriegen, die er bisher irgendwie übersehen hat… Filmperlen Bewertung ***

Filmkritik: Drag Me to Hell
Verflucht! Sam Raimi kehrt zurück in unsere heimischen Player. Höllisch gut oder zum Gruseln schlecht?

TOP 10 bei Video Buster:
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Hugh Jackman schlüpft wieder in die Rolle, die ihn zum Superstar machte: Wolverine – der Mann mit den unverkennbaren Stahlklingen, bemerkenswerten Selbstheilungskräften, ruppigem Charme und einer gehörigen Portion trockenem Humor. ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ erzählt die Vorgeschichte Logans mit Augenmerk auf seine mysteriöse Vergangenheit, seine komplexe Beziehung zu Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber) und das ominöse Weapon X-Programm. Der Zuschauer erfährt, wer Wolverine wirklich ist.

Slumdog Millionär
Für Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) ist es der größte Tag seines bisherigen Lebens. Nur noch eine Frage trennt ihn vom 20 Millionen Rupien-Hauptgewinn in Indiens TV- Show ‘Wer wird Millionär?’. Doch was in aller Welt hat ein mittelloser Youngster aus den Slums von Mumbai in dieser Sendung verloren? Und wie kommt es, dass er auf alle Fragen eine Antwort weiß…

Duplicity
CIA-Offizier Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts) und MI6-Agent Ray Koval (Clive Owen) standen früher im Geheimdienst ihrer Regierungen. Derzeit haben sie in die Privatwirtschaft gewechselt, um mit lukrativen Verträgen das meiste aus dem Kalten Krieg herauszuholen. Beide jagen jeweils für ihre Bosse Tully (Tom Wilkinson) und Garsik (Paul Giamatti) einem milliardenschweren Patent nach. Keiner ahnt, dass sie eine heimliche Affäre und eigene Pläne haben…

Männersache
Tagsüber arbeitet Paul (Mario Barth) in einer Berliner Zoohandlung und abends an seiner Karriere als Komiker. Zugegeben, seine Auftritte laufen mies… bis Paul anfängt, Witze über seinen besten Freund Hotte (Dieter Tappert) und dessen Freundin Susi (Anja Kling) zu reißen. Auf einmal läuft es auf der Bühne: Pauls Gags über Hottes Beziehungsgeschichten, nicht enden wollende Shopping-Orgien von Susi und den Pärchen Kaffeeklatsch bei den Schwiegereltern sind ein Renner…

The International
Im Mittelpunkt steht die Entschlossenheit von Interpol-Agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) und der New Yorker Staatsanwältin Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts), eine der mächtigsten Banken der Welt zu Fall zu bringen. Während sie eine Reihe illegaler Aktivitäten aufdecken, folgen Salinger und Whitman der Spur des Geldes von Berlin nach Mailand, New York und Istanbul. Bald schon befinden sie sich mitten in einer hochriskanten Hetzjagd rund um den Globus, bei der sie durch ihre kompromisslose Hartnäckigkeit auch ihr eigenes Leben aufs Spiel setzen…

Defiance – Unbeugsam
Kriegsjahr 1941: Zu Tausenden werden Juden in der Sowjetrepublik Weißrussland von den Nazis ermordet. Darunter auch die Eltern und weitere Familienangehörige der drei Bielski-Brüder. Um ihre nackte Haut zu retten, fliehen sie in die undurchdringlichen Wälder der Umgebung. Als sich die Kunde ihres Partisanenkampfes gegen die deutschen Besatzer verbreitet, stoßen immer mehr verzweifelte jüdische Landsleute zu ihnen. Unter der Leitung von Tuvia Bielski bereitet sich die Notgemeinschaft auf die unabsehbar lange Zeit im Versteck und den harten Winter vor…

Willkommen bei den Sch’tis
Der Postbeamte und Südfranzose Philippe Abrams (Kad Merad) wird unfreiwillig in den rauen Norden versetzt – zu den Sch’tis, wie die ‘Ureinwohner’ wegen ihres Dialekts genannt werden. Zwei Welten prallen aufeinander! Schnell merkt Philippe, dass er den Sch’ti-Dialekt zwar überhaupt nicht versteht, die Menschen aber unglaublich herzlich sind…

Der fremde Sohn
Los Angeles, 1928. Die alleinerziehende Mutter Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) verabschiedet sich morgens von ihrem Sohn Walter und geht zur Arbeit. Am Abend ist der Neunjährige spurlos verschwunden. Fünf verzweifelte Monate später bringt ihr die Polizei einen Jungen, doch Christine ist überzeugt: das ist nicht ihr Sohn! Die Behörden tun alles, um Christine zum Schweigen zu bringen, aber die kämpft unbeirrt weiter. Ihre Suche nach der Wahrheit bringt einen Sumpf aus Korruption und Lügen ans Licht, erschüttert die Öffentlichkeit und verändert L.A. für immer…

Appaloosa
Virgil Cole (Ed Harris) und Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen) werden als Unterstüzung gegen die Herrschaft des Ranchers Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons) in einer kleinen Stadt angeheuert. Schnell bekommen sie die Situation in Griff. Als jedoch die junge attraktive Witwe Allison French (Renée Zellweger) anreist, ändern sich die Pläne für die beiden…

Hilde

Hilde
Hildegard Knef geht einen langen Weg, bis sie zu sich selbst findet: Aus bedrückenden familiären Verhältnissen gelingt ihr der Sprung in die Schauspielausbildung, doch in den letzten Kriegswirren zählt nur mehr das blanke Überleben. Nach Filmerfolgen und Fehlgriffen, falschen und richtigen Männern, lähmender Langeweile in Hollywood und einer turbulenten Hass-Liebe mit dem deutschen Publikum muss die Kämpfernatur Hilde lernen, dass manchmal andere Dinge zählen als der Ellenbogenkampf im Showbiz: In ihrer eigenen Geschichte und im Inneren ihrer Seele findet sie die Substanz für die ‘Hilde’, auf die sie selbst aber auch das deutsche Publikum immer gewartet hat… Einer der deutschen Lebenswege nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg. Hildegard Knef war die Sünderin, ein Kinotraum, ein Weltstar, eine Ikone. Und sehr, sehr cool. Dies ist ihr Leben.

Filmperlen-Tipps zu Halloween
Die lange (Film-) Nacht des Grauens…
Ob Sie nun einen privaten Halloween-Abend planen und zu Ihrer orange-schwarzen Dekoration neben einem ekeligen Büffet mit Kürbissuppe noch die richtig unheimliche Filmkost reichen möchten, oder sich ganz einfach mal wieder im Heimkino erschrecken lassen wollen: Video Buster hat viele höllisch gute Vertreter und einige ‘Geist-reiche’ Filmvorschläge versammelt. Grausige Gestalten, schauderhafte Schauplätze, mörderische Träume. Nebel zieht auf… das Böse stirbt nie. Oder doch?
Bloß nicht erschrecken lassen – buh!
Freitag, der 13. (2009) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Der Fluch der 2 Schwestern (2009)
Der Nebel (2007) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Das Omen (2006) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
The Descent (2005)
Saw (2004)
Gothika (2003)
Ring (2002) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Haus der 1000 Leichen (2002)
Final Destination (2000)
Das Geisterschloss (1999) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Haunted Hill (1999) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Blair Witch Project (1999) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Scream – Schrei! (1996) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Candyman’s Fluch (1992)
Stephen King’s ES (1990) Filmperlen Bewertung ****
Friedhof der Kuscheltiere (1989)
Nightmare on Elm Street – Mörderische Träume (1984)
Poltergeist (1982)
Tanz der Teufel (1982)
Stanley Kubricks Shining (1980) Filmperlen Bewertung ****
The Fog – Nebel des Grauens (1980) Filmperlen Bewertung ****
Amityville Horror (1979) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Carrie – Des Satans jüngste Tochter (1976) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Das Omen (1976) Filmperlen Bewertung ****
Die Wiege des Bösen (1974) Filmperlen Bewertung ****
Der Exorzist (1973) Filmperlen Bewertung ****
Rosemary’s Baby (1968) Filmperlen Bewertung ****
Night of the living dead – Die Nacht der lebenden Toten (1968)
Tanz der Vampire (1967) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Der schwarze Abt (1963)
Freaks – Missgestaltete (1932)
Dracula (1931) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922). Filmperlen Bewertung ***    Mehr über Video Buster erfahren Sie hier:  Video Buster – Erleben Sie Hollywood mit dem Filmtipp der Woche!

“Todos nós cometemos erros no passado.”
Anne Manning

Drama é de longe o gênero que mais toca no emocional dos apreciadores de artes. Mentiras Sinceras não apenas emociona, mas nos envolve numa narrativa bem construída e cheia de performances intensas. O filme de 84 minutos escrito e dirigido por Julian Fellowes é baseado na novela “A Way Through The Wood” de Nigel Balchin. Fellowes escreveu também “Assassinato em Gosford Park” que lhe rendeu um Oscar por isso.

O Filme trás no elenco Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson e Rupert Everett, que interpretam os personagens Anne Manning, James Manning e William Bule respectivamente. Em um enredo bem justificado vemos que a verdade nem sempre predomina e pode permanecer apenas no passado, o futuro pode ser movido apenas por desejos e que todos somos potenciais traidores e mentirosos, mesmo que sinceros.

No desenrolar da história somos apresentados a um casamento mal sucedido, que tem seus pilares ameaçados por insatisfações compensadas por uma relação extraconjugal. Nisso temos consciência do fato que os seres humanos comentem erros fatais, e um desses erros mais freqüente é o casamento. Mostra também que o que a principio pode parecer perfeito no fundo é algo completamente perturbador, nos fazendo questionar e refletir sobre as aparências.

Elaborando temas de segredo, traição e perdão, o filme nos coloca diante de fatos reflexivos que põem à prova a sinceridade, justiça, amor (muitas vezes exacerbado), entre outras mazelas sociais. Os personagens são verossímeis não apenas por causa dos erros que corroboram o fato de serem humanos, mas também por usar de argumentos que podem ser facilmente notados se atentarmos para a contemporaneidade da nossa sociedade.

Filmes assim têm o poder de distrair e nos educar, ou simplesmente acender a centelha filosófica que resulta numa reflexão frutífera para situações pessoais e sociais. Recomendo este drama romântico aos utopistas e até aos mais céticos sobre a influência de um filme na vida do homem.

Former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service website.

Several media outlets have formulated a conspiracy theory. They’ve reported an influx of talented actors on the set of director Robert Redford’s upcoming film, “The Conspirator.”

“The Conspirator” will reel audiences in on the assassination of former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Robin Wright Penn (“White Oleander”) plays Mary Surratt, the woman charged with the crime. Playing her defense attorney is the magnetic James McAvoy (“Atonement”).

They are joined by Evan Rachel Wood (“Thirteen”) as Penn’s daughter as well as Alexis Bledel (“Gilmore Girls”) and Justin Long (“Accepted”) as McAvoy’s wife and friend, respectively.

Newcomer Toby Kebbell slips into the role of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin while Tom Wilkinson (“In the Bedroom”) and Kevin Kline (“The Emperor’s Club”) round out the cast.

I can’t say that any Redford-directed films stand out but  very few historical events intrigue me, but assassinations of prominent figures certainly count. Also, the impressive casting is a welcome bonus.

Earlier this year I confronted my parents about why they never (and I do mean never) see movies in theaters.  “There’s nothing to see.  They don’t make movies for us.”  It’s a paradox.  No shit they don’t make movies for you, you don’t see them in theaters.  If only my parents had been aware of Duplicity, maybe they’d have more hope.  From the Tony Gilroy, director of the slick Michael Clayton, it’s a brainy, adult spy-comedy starring two genuine movie stars who chew up their scenes left and right.  It’s wonderful, and of course, it totally BOMBED.  Blame my parents.

Clive Owen and Julia Roberts are Ray and Claire, former spies who have each been enlisted to opposing consumer product conglomerates: Equikrom and Burkett & Randle.  Under Equikrom, Ray attempts to infiltrate the tight security of Burkett & Randle (handled by Claire), in hopes of nabbing a newly devloped product that may end up changing the world (=$$$$).  It’s a twisty, Ocean’s 11-style caper that complicates when Ray and Claire’s romantic past is slowly revealed.

Duplicity is old-fashioned in all the right ways.  Roberts and Owen are a charismatic couple, whether they’re bickering in New York, romancing in Rome, or negotiating in Berlin, the performances herald back to that snappy Bogart delivery of yesteryears.  Gilroy is first a writer (thank him for the Bourne films) and he pulls out all the stops with this one.  He walks the thin line between wit and cheese, but 90% of the time it clicks.  At times the plot’s a bit convuluted, too many jumps in time, but with two strong leads it never really matters.  Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson round out the cast as the two rival CEOs who will stop at nothing to bury the other, adding another cup of charisma to the overflowing pot.

I won’t spoil any details, just go rent this movie.  I’m talking to you Mom and Dad.  8/10

La franquicia de Batman es una montaña rusa de ires y venires, de cómo la Warner Brothers se imagina sus episodios y de cómo cada uno de sus directores le apuesta a algo creativo (si es que se puede llamar creativo el vacío intento de Joel Schumacher en 1997 con su Batman & Robin).

Batman es la creación de Bob Cane, un norteamericano que se hizo millonario al venderle derechos patrimoniales de la franquicia a DC Comics, claremente aprendió de los errores de Joe Shuster y Jerry Siegel que inventaron Superman basados en la teoría del súper-hombre de Nietzsche y fueron estafados ingenuamente por la DC Comics. Cane aprovechó todo el potencial de su personaje y se hizo muy popular primero por la excentricidad del millonario que encarnaba y porque era el único súper héroe que no poseía poderes sobrenaturales.

Gracias a Frank Miller el excéntrico millonario dejó de ser colorido y extrovertido para convertirse en un hombre solitario, abnegado y lleno de miedos internos. Tim Burton en 1989 con Michael Keaton fue el primero en llevarlo al celuloide con Batman; su antagónico era el Joker interpretado por Jack Nicholson y como raro, una nominación al Oscar. El mismo Burton en 1992 repite con Michael Keaton y develan una segunda parte de la franquicia con Batman Returns esta vez los villanos eran Michelle Pfeiffer como Catwoman y Danny DeVito como el Penguin, acompañados de Christopher Walken un verdadero villano.

Todo pintaba a que la tercera parte de la saga la iba a hacer de nuevo Tim Burton pero la Warner dijo que se estaban haciendo demasiado oscuras estas pelis, que eso no era comercial, por lo cual le pasó la batuta a Joel Schumacher y en 1995 al lado de Val Kilmer como el nuevo Bruce Wayne sacaron Batman Forever. Lo positivo un excelente Edward Nygma, Riddler interpretado por Jim Carrey, acompañado por Tommy Lee Jones como Harvey Dent, Two Faces. Lo pésimo, la mala caracterización de Kilmer, la pobre presencia de Nicole Kidman y la terrible aparición de Chris O’Donnell.

No sólo fue mala, sino que le dieron una segunda oprotunidad a Schumacher y sacó en 1997 Batman & Robin. No tengo nada en contra de los homosexuales pero fue el Batman más gay de la historia de todos los hombres murciélago. Tomas cerradas a las nalgas de George Clooney, los pechos de Batman y Robin y una Alicia Silverstone de muy regular actuación. Uma Thurman actúa aquí pero pasa desapercibida el verdadero éxito de la peli Mr. Freeze interpretado por Arnold Schwarzenegger en un disfraz increíble.

Tuvieron que pasar ocho años, para que los fanáticos sanáramos nuestras heridas de decepción y repulsión para ver el nacimiento del nuevo Batman.

En 2005, con guión escrito por Christopher Nolan sale Batman Begins. Christian Bale es el nuevo Bruce Wayne, Michael Caine como Alfred, Gary Oldman como James Gordon y un reparto de lujo con excelentes actuaciones. La historia vuelve a las raíces de Frank Miller y se explora un súper héroe vulnerable que redefine sus miedos y los potencia para salir adelante. Una excelentente narración, un humor muy sofisticado, nos muestra un diamante en bruto, un batman en proceso de formación, de madurez, de realización personal.

La música es magistralmente dirigida por Hans Zimmer y James Newton Howard. Se aleja de la fanfarria caricaturesca de sus antecesores (a excepción de Danny Elfman que lo hizo formidablemente) y le imprime un aire de misterio perfectamente amalgamado con la historia.

El reparto, como lo decía antes, es un quita-aliento desde Morgan Freeman pasando por Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Rutger Hauer, hasta el fantástico Tom Wilkinson. Y lo más bonito es que aunque el protagonismo de los villanos es liderado por Ra’s Al Ghul los malos son realmente de la vida real como el mismo Bruce Wayne, a quién temerle más que a un puñado de locos que se acaban de escapar de un manicomio, auna camada de ciudadanos en plena histeria o a un grupo de vengativos mafiosos que se pasan la ley por donde mejor les parece.

Batman Begins es el retorno del hombre oscuro que toma la justicia por sus manos… Un paraco, si. Pero por ahora divertido y con una ética inquebrantable.

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