Monday, July 27, 2009

Ne Me Quitte Pas





Yasmin Ahmad (1958 - 2009)


Al-Fatihah...

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Prebiu 2009

Filem-filem yang aku mau tonton, dan kau patut tonton, tahun ini.

WATCHMEN
Even if it turns out to be only half as good as the graphic novel, I'll be satisfied. Even if the adaptation is shite, quality time can be spent on reveling at Silk Spectre and that 'fanboy-treating' of an outfit. Oh and to those who haven't read the graphic novel, you're really missing out. TIME's 100 Novels List can attest to its greatness.

TERMINATOR SALVATION

I admit I still store a sheer amount of skeptism on this movie. First, it's a Terminator movie without the terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger. Second, it's directed by "McG", the guy who brought us the movie Charlie's Angels . But if he managed to get Christian Bale and Jonathan Nolan on the boat, he must be doing something right. The snippets I saw are not-too-bad either.

FUNNY PEOPLE
As in my previous post. Could this be the second Adam Sandler flick that I love? Even the film's poster managed to make Adam Sandler look "likable" for once.

PUBLIC ENEMIES
Teh Bale. Johnny Depp. A Michael Mann movie. Ya can blow a load now.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
A WWII Tarantino movie. I'm one of the few who loved Death Proof. Guess I still belong to the now dwindling, Quentin Tarantino fan club.

UP
It wouldn't be right to not have a Pixar film to look forward to every year.

AVATAR
It looks like James Cameron has finally ran out of all that money he got from Titanic. Thank goodness.

THE ROAD

This film should have been a 2008 release, but somehow got pushed to this year. Is that a bad sign? With the talents involved, I doubt it. The Road is a post-apocalyptic film adapted from Cormac McCarthy's novel, and directed by John Hillcoat who rose to fame with The Proposition.

500 DAYS OF SUMMER
Any film starring Indie favorite Joseph Gordon Levitt is worth anticipating. Seriously this guy should do something bigger that could attract some serious attention. "Big" in the sense of not in a blockbuster movie(*ehem* G.I. Joe), but more to something that those golden statuettes love.

SHUTTER ISLAND

Sorry..couldn't find a photo worth posting for this one.

It's safe to say that this would be a lock as one of the front-runners in the next Oscars. But if I'm not missing anything, with the exception of Public Enemies, this year there's no other film with big-name directors attached that could rival the juggernaut that is Martin Scorsese, so it has all the chance of coming out winning methinks.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

FUNNY PEOPLE

All of a sudden this becomes my most anticipated film of the year. Hah! I'd never thought I'd say that for a movie starring Adam Sandler. Tapi sebenarnya yang buatkan aku amat tertarik dengan filem ni adalah sebab pengarah/penulis Judd Apatow, yahudi totok yang dah jadi "the new Woody Allen".


Monday, January 26, 2009

THE FILMS OF 2008

10 - Let The Right One In

If there's only one vampire cum romance flick that you would see, make it this one.

9 - In Bruges

A criminally underlooked British gangster flick, boasting Colin Farrel's best performance to date.

8 - Revolutionary Road
An acting showcase for Leo and Kate, back together again, albeit in a completely opposite end of the spectrum, in tone, than their previous collaboration.

7 - Doubt

You won't doubt the cast's acting abilities, that's for sure. Watch this if you want to see great actors chomp through the whole film.

6 - Slumdog Millionaire

This is the "Little Miss Sunshine" or "Juno" of the year. A crowd-pleasing indie film, that although may not be as mindblowing as the hype would suggest, but still nearly impossible to hate. Heck Danny Boyle can always make up to any shortcomings in a script.

5 - Wall-E

The first half of Wall-E is pure cinematic heaven. But when it gets "talky", it loses most of its magic. But nevertheless, it's still on par with some of Pixar's best.

4 - Happy-Go-Lucky

You'd know that a movie was great if it can make you smile for the rest of the day. The title fits perfectly.

3 - Chop Shop

Chop Shop is another unappreciated gem of a film, reminiscent of the old Italian neo-realists.

2 - The Wrestler

Honestly, this little flick damn near takes the top spot. Intimate, and as emotionally engaging as it gets. Mickey Rourke is back in a performance of a lifetime. and to those Aronofsky detractors who claimed he's more style over substance, The Wrestler pretty much could shut them all up.

1 - The Dark Knight

I'd bet you can see this a mile away. What more can I say? The Dark Knight is all kinds of awesome. Full stop. As the list shows, TDK is the best example for mainstream cinema, and The Wrestler, for the independent cinema.

Honorable Mentions: Susuk, Iron Man, Gran Torino, Budak Kelantan, Eden Lake, Man On Wire, Transsiberian, Speed Racer, Tropic Thunder, Time Crimes

Disappointments: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Quantum Of Solace, Indiana Jones & The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, My Blueberry Nights

Most Unwatchable Film: Milk

Other Top 10 lists:
EddVedder
Roman Kodian

Monday, January 12, 2009