Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

I did speak too soon on my Curious Case of Benjamin Button review. This, right here, is the Best Picture winner. Tomorrow, Slumdog Millionaire will become an underdog story at the Oscars. Buzzy and a great director, Slumdog had everything going for it. Now it can finally claim what it rightfully needs: Oscars.

Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel of Britain's Skins), a man currently in the hot seat of the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. He gets to the second to last question and the authorities think he is cheating and take him into prison. There, they tell about the show and he tells of his life in the slums of Mumbai and the love of his life, Letika.

Danny Boyle's direction is just stunning, as usual. The film is very artistic, employing all kinds of direction techniques. The scene in which the children run away from evil authorities is very well shot. It is a frenzied scene of children jumping across rooftops and hiding behind curtains. Many directors could shoot the scene well, but the best would have been the version that came in the form of this film.

The film has only one flaw. The problem that I had with the film was the predictability of it. You can tell where the film is going to go right from the start. Even scene that are supposed to make you think something else didn't deceive me. Although, I suppose there is nothing you can do about it considering that the writers adapted it from the book Q & A.

Slumdog Millionaire is the second best film of 2008. Sorry, I still love The Dark Knight. Still, it really is a very bittersweet movie with tons of acclaim and a great soundtrack. It is a hip, cool look at the bad parts of India and the corruption of authorities. The sweet tale of Jamal is sure to charm anyone who watches it.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Even though the title may just be the worst one in history, Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona is funny and charming. Though not hilarious as Allen had wished, it still is visually stunning and well acted. The film makes you feel as though you actually went to Barcelona for two hours.

Rebecca Hall plays Vicky and Scarlett Johansson plays Cristina, two girlfriends who take a trip to Barcelona for the summer hence the title. There they meet the elusive Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), a nice artist. They both fall in love with him. The love triangle becomes some other quadrilateral when Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz), a previous girlfriend of Juan Antonio, comes back to see him. And that's not even the end of it.

Penelope Cruz's acting is the best part of this film. She gives a really great performance. There aren't many actresses who can give a real tour de force performance like she can. Though the other actresses and Javier Bardem come off as a bit dry, Cruz really shines and well deserves her Oscar nomination and Golden Globe.

As I mentioned before, the film is beautiful. Though it is probably very hard to make Barcelona look ugly, when you add Woody Allen into the equation, the filmmaking reaches a new level. As Juan Antonio and the women walk around Barcelona, the viewer becomes so amazed by the sights they see. This movie actually inspired me to travel to Barcelona next summer.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona's humor may be strange, but it still is very lovable. This is one of 2008's good movies. Somewhere in the middle, the film begins to feel a bit long, but the resolution makes it better. A weird lesbian scene and great acting, this film has it all. Woody Allen has directed another good one.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

And the Oscar goes to...whoops, have I spoken too soon? The Curious Case of Benjamin Button should come as no suprise that it is one of the best movies of 2008. Though it is a polar opposite of the 22 page short story, the 167 minute movie is satistfying. The movie is depressing and is themed with death, therefore many maybe uncomfortable with it.

Benjamin Button is truly a curious case. Played by Brad Pitt, he was born "under unusual circumstances" with the body of an 80 year old. Left on the doorstep of Queenie (Taraji P. Huston), the owner of a retirement home, he is adopted and is raised by her. Even more strange, he is becoming younger as people grow older. At the retirement home, he meets Daisy (Cate Blanchett), the love of his life. The movie chronicles his life adventures.

The movie is butt numbing to say the least. Though it may be well measured in time, it is 167 minutes and it does feel that way. Some parts of the movie aren't really all that necessary. I'm scared to know how long the director's cut is if one exists!

David Fincher's direction is amazing. Some shots are absolutely gorgeous such as the one in which he watches the sunrise with his biological father. Others are not including the war sequence which is filmed very well. Whether or not the movie's length is his fault or not we will never know, but he is forgiven.

Benjamin Button should see shiny statuettes in its future. Though the movie does seem to drag on a bit, it is well worth it. Taraji P. Huston, David Fincher, and the picture itself should be getting awards come February. The movie will captivate all viewers and the end will leave them in tears. As we see Benjamin age (or quite the opposite), we are him and we feel the pain he must be going through.

Titanic (1997)

As Revolutionary Road marks the second time Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet plat a couple, I felt this was necessary. Titanic is not only the ship of dreams, it is also the movie of every filmmaker's dreams. The movie is the most grossing movie in the world ever and it will remain that way for a while. It won a record breaking amount of Academy Awards, but it isn't even on IMDB's top 250. Kind of ironic isn't it?

If you don't already know, Titanic is the story of Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio), a poor Irish boy, and Rose (Kate Winslet), a rich British girl. The two begin an illicit romance aboard the ship. Unfortunately, the Titanic hits an iceberg. Well, that sucks.

The famous scene where the ship sinks is still amazing. As we watch the characters in peril, attempting to get into lifeboats, and literally falling off the ship, the audience remains in awe. The special effects are shockingly realistic. They don't even look as if they were done on a computer!

The acting in this is excellent. Kate Winslet, who may have been criticized for being too fat, is perfect as she exposes herself to Leonardo DiCaprio for the famous drawing scene. The even more famous "flying" scene is one to go down in history. Possibly one of the most sexy movie couples, they remain in my heart.

James Cameron's three hour long epic will weave its way into anyone's heart. Trust me, in the finale, your whole tissue box will be empty by the end of it. Famous and unforgettable, Titanic is the best modern classic I know of.

For a funny parody, go to angryalien.com for a thirty second animated version of it...starring bunnies.

Australia (2008)

Well, I was going to do a review of High Tension to continue yesterday's theme, but then...

There was Australia. There was that genre mixing, whirring epic that is beautiful in every single way. Leave it to Baz Luhrmann to make something boring into something new, appealing, and feeling antiquated in a good way. There haven't been movies like this one for a good 70 years.

The epic starts off as an adventure/western movie. After her husband who owns a cattle droving service in Australia asks her to come, Sarah (Nicole Kidman) leaves her rich mansion in England. Her husband dies and she takes over his industry with Drover (Hugh Jackman). Along the way, they meet a mixed Aborigine girl named Nullah and adopt her. The film changes genres every 45 minutes and eventually ends as a war movie in which the couple witnesses the effects of Pearl Harbor on Australia first hand.

Never before has a film been so beautiful. Every shot that Lurhmann makes is more beautiful than the last. Most of the film was shot on location so everything is very pleasing to the eye. Rich colors and smart shots all around, I'd say Baz Luhrmann has secured a nomination.

They don't make movies like this one anymore. Australia is based off the analogy of The Wizard of Oz which alone gives it its own flavor. Also, it reminds me a lot of The African Queen and definitely draws parallels to other classic films. Look no further than title credits' typeface to be reminded of old movies.

Australia is clever, witty, and emotional. Audiences in the theater I saw it in were clearly engaged, crying and laughing at certain scenes. I have never seen a movie in theaters that made me and the audience feel so engaged. Luhrmann needs to keep making movies. He's one of the only great directors around now.

Movies You Shouldn't See: Date Movie (2006)

It seems that funny movies that end with "movie" are all the craze these days. Actually they're not funny at all. Stick with the Scary Movie series. This is nothing special here; it's just a big piece of crap. It's amazing that the 2 of the 6 writers can retain their dignity after this!

Date Movie is a horrible spoof of all romance movies. It spoofs a lot of them, but mostly My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It is about a man searching for the perfect woman. He finds her, but her parents don't exactly like him or any man she dates very much.

Some of the humor in this movie is just trash. In a spoof "The Bachelor", our main character disqualifies contestants, but when they are disqualified, they are shot. It doesn't get much more lowbrow than this folks. There's also some just flat out crude humor scenes that I won't even get into.

The film is not a complete trainwreck until half way in. The first half isn't terrible, but it's still mediocre. The second half, on the other hand, is just terrible. It makes it one of the worst movies I have ever seen.

Date Movie brings something new to the table-a new, terrible genre of cinema. The only funny part is in the first five minutes and it's a chuckle not a laugh. It just isn't a good movie. I couldn't be more plain and simple about it.

Vertigo (1958)

Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece has not aged a bit since the day it came out. Vertigo is a visually stunning, twisty trip into a mystery in San Francisco. As expected, Hitchcock has produced another piece of celluloid gold.

Vertigo is the dizzying story of John Scottie (Jimmy Stewart), a detective who has a bad case of severe case of vertigo. When he is hired by friend to watch his wife (Kim Novak), a blond bombshell who has odd habits. John begins to become obsessed with her leading to unfortunate events.

Bernard Herrman has a fantastic soundtrack in this film. His sweeping music fits perfectly with Hitchcock's many shots of San Francisco and the subjective vertigo shots. As usual, the music is very memorable, as is the picture.

By the end, Hitchcock has created an unbelievably creative movie with a major twist at the end and some amazing shots of San Francisco. One can only wonder where one man can get so much talent. Personally, I value this over Psycho.

For a clever parody of this, watch Mel Brooks' High Anxiety.

Amelie (2001)

This film also goes under the names "Le Fableaux Destin du Amelie Poulain" and "Amelie from Montramarte". In French, subtitled in English.

Amelie is a quirky film in it's own genre and sure to charm anyone who watches it. The French film was released in America during the week of 9/11 and it was exactly what the country needed.

Amelie is about a woman played by the beautiful Audrey Tautou (you may recognize her from The Da Vinci Code) who leads a fantastic life. After charming the lives of seven unhappy Parisians, she finally falls in love. The only problem with this is that Amelie has never been in love. She is a woman who can make other people happy and yet has trouble making herself feel good.

Just like Jean-Pierre Jeunet's other films (A Very Long Engagement, The City of Lost Children), there is a very dream-like feeling to it. Amelie is digitally colored in way to accentuate the surreality of it and cause the viewer to be in a daze of color. The film is generally slightly tinted certain colors just as A Very Long Engagement was tinted yellow.

The French humor in the film is hilarious. I have never seen anything like the scene in which Amelie keeps herself occupied. This is the only scene in the film which is in any way inappropriate. Amelie ponders to herself how many people in the world are having an orgasm at this exact second. In true Jeunet fashion, he shows them as she counts. Her answer is seventeen and she smiles. Odd and yet at the same time very artistic and comical.

Amelie is the perfect movie for a bad day. It is the best feel-good movie that I know of. In fact, I'm pretty sure this film changed my life. It will encourage you to make others and yourself feel happy. Go ahead. Make yourself feel better. Watch Amelie.