.:memento:.

Ne Me Quitte Pas

2009-07-27T18:01:00.002+08:00

Yasmin Ahmad (1958 - 2009)

Al-Fatihah...

Prebiu 2009

2009-03-01T10:20:00.016+08:00

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.

FUNNY PEOPLE

2009-02-22T21:55:00.002+08:00

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".

THE FILMS OF 2008

2009-01-26T14:58:00.008+08:00

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

Familiar?

2009-01-12T08:20:00.001+08:00

Abomination

2008-12-06T16:01:00.006+08:00

Ok. This is officially the worst thing I've seen in a while ("movie-wise"). Be forewarned, watching this short clip may cause bleeding eyes and involuntary regurgitation due to its mind-blowing badness.

Bad music, bad acting, bad directing, bad everything all jam-packed in this 2-minute clip. Guess I don't have to watch the whole Twilight movie to know that it's a piece of crap.

Side note: I don't think it's even legal putting this up here. But heck, it's for a good cause.

MASIH HIDUP

2008-11-29T21:48:00.004+08:00

SUSUK (Amir Muhammad & Naeim Ghalili)

Wau penamatnya buat aku meremang. Terpaku aku sekejap. Bukan disebabkan takutkan 'hantunya', tapi seram secara psikologi yg datang bila aku imbau balik babak-babak awal dalam filem ini, yang pada mulanya aku sangka tak ada apa-apa signifikasi pada jalan cerita. Satu penamat yang betul-betul melengkapkan filem ini. Mengikat semua jaringan-jaringan plot, dan juga mengupas jiwa sebenar Susuk. Ia bukan filem 'seram' yang biasa. Filem Susuk ada naratif yang lebih kompleks dan mendalam daripada apa yang terang-terang dipaparkan. Jarang sekali kita dapat sebuah filem seram, tempatan ataupun mana-mana sekalipun, yang mempunyai jalan cerita yang kuat. Maksud aku, kebanyakan filem seram hanya nak menakutkan penonton saja tanpa apa-apa sokongan naratif yang merangsang otak. Jalan cerita hanya dijadikan 'alasan' untuk menyumbat seberapa banyak babak seram yang boleh, contohnya filem Jangan Pandang Belakang dan klon-klonnya. Tapi tidak Susuk. Cerita dan skrip diutamakan. Sebab ni aku dapat rasakan ramai orang yang tak suka Susuk. Babak-babak 'hantu' pun hanya diselit sedikit saja, mungkin hanya nak memuaskan hati penonton yang masuk panggung mengharap filem seram yang tradisional. Memang efek-efek hantunya tampak murahan, tapi itu bukan nadi utamanya. Ternyata, objektif utama Amir Muhammad adalah nak menyampaikan cerita. Cara plotnya dikupas yang melekatkan perhatian aku. Jadi aku tak kisah pasal isu seram tak seram tu. Tambahan lagi filem ni dibarisi pelakon-pelakon yang hebat. Paling mengejutkan adalah lakonan Diana Rafar, yang tampak bersahaja dan membuatkan perkembangan wataknya 'believable'. Yang menariknya aku juga dapat rasa ada sentuhan surrealisme David Lynch (watak utama yang naif dikelilingi kejadian-kejadian pelik/surreal yang akhirnya dia sendiri terjerumus ke dalamnya). Amir/Naeim berjaya mengangkat filem ini keluar daripada kepompong satu genre, menjadi hasil artistik yang aku berani katakan filem tempatan terbaik tahun ini.

Tapi sebenarnya, aku rasa peminat-peminat filem seram takkan ada masalah dengan Susuk. Yang aku maksudkan mereka yang betul-betul peminat sejati, yang sekurang-kurangnya sudah tonton filem-filem Dario Argento. Hah babak kegemaran aku dalam Susuk sudah pasti babak 'homage' Dario Argento tu! Stail! Selepas saja babak tu aku terus yakin yang pembikin filem ni tau apa yang mereka buat, dan akhirnya memang betul sangkaan aku.

4/5

PENSIL (M Subash)

Pada dasarnya filem Pensil sama saja dengan mana-mana filem/telefilem arahan Rashid Sibir. Cuma bezanya M Subash adalah pengarah filem yang lebih baik. Pensil lebih berkesan, lebih autentik dan kurang menjengkelkan dalam memancing air mata penonton. Aku sangat, sangat memuji M Subash sebab menonjolkan budaya melayu/Islam dengan lebih baik daripada kebanyakan pengarah filem melayu sendiri. Tengok saja posternya yang guna tulisan Jawi tu. Dan seperti mana-mana pengarah 'auteur', ada eksplorasi personal yang dibawanya; pertembungan bangsa Melayu dan India (watak Badrul kacukan melayu/india). Hubungan antara watak Badrul(M Subash) dan neneknya(Ruminah Sidek, lakonannya gila hebat!) adalah yang paling menarik bagi aku. Aku nantikan filem seterusnya daripada pengarah baru ni.

3.5/5

SEPI (Kabir Bhatia)

Filem ni ada potensi. Ada cebisan-cebisan tema 'kesepian' yang menarik dijelajahi. Tapi keseluruhannya dirosakkan dengan melodrama murahan dan situasi-situasi yang terlalu 'fantasi'. Maaf, aku tak dapat rasa emosi yang autentik dalamnya. Alah kau akan kata "Cerita jiwang memang macam tu! Kalau tak fantasi tak best!". Memang, filem Cinta juga ada penyakit 'fantasi keterlaluan' ini, tapi ia diseimbangkan dengan naratif dan karakter-karakter yang aku ada rasa empati. Ada connection. Sepi tak ada dua benda ni. Senang cerita, aku bosan dengan Sepi dan kesepian (haha).

2/5

TALENTIME

2008-10-21T14:23:00.003+08:00

Filem terbaru Yasmin Ahmad. Aku dah tonton. Cemburu tak? heheh

Terus terang sini aku katakan aku tak suka dengan filem Mualaf. Aku dah mula sangkakan yang Yasmin tak mampu buat filem bagus yang bukan separa autobiografi (Rabun, Sepet, Gubra, Mukhsin). Tapi kekecewaan aku langsung terubat dengan Talentime, sebab inilah magnum opus filem Malaysia. Inilah masterpiece Yasmin Ahmad. Kesemua tema dan subteks dalam filem-filem sebelumnya ada dalam Talentime, dan disempurnakan lagi. It's a career-defining film. Bravo!

Aku tak mau tulis ulasan panjang lagi buat masa ni, tunggu sajalah tayangan komersialnya nanti.

Pra-tonton lain:
Fadz Tontonfilem

Mind. Body. Spirit.

2008-09-16T11:50:00.002+08:00

"And actually I should say, for me, Pi, Requiem and The Fountain were really a trilogy. I kind of call it like my mind, body, spirit trilogy. Pi - being mind, Requiem - being body and The Fountain - being spirit."
- Darren Aronofsky, Interview Link

Oh so true.

and oh so awesome.

YANG EKSOTIK

2008-09-11T19:04:00.005+08:00

Maaf kerana lambat mengemaskini blog ini. Sudah pasti "peminat-peminat" aku amat kepinginkan rebiu-rebiu baru (hahaha padahal hampir tiada trafik pun).

Filem-filem besar 'musim panas' sudah sampai penamat. Aku beri tepukan penutup tirai untuk abang Batman di bandar Gotham sana... sebab aku sudah tonton filemnya di pawagam sebanyak 5 kali. Ahhh kalaulah aku ni penganggur, mungkin lebih daripada itu. Jadi aku rasa sekarang dah sampai masa untuk apresiasi filem-filem yang lebih serius, artistik, eksotik dan, mungkin, erotik.

CHOP SHOP (Ramin Bahrani, 2008)

Filem neorealis yang menonjolkan kawasan miskin yang dipopulasi imigran. Aku seakan tak percaya ia bertempat di New York, yang selalu digambarkan dengan gah dan moden. Dalam Chop Shop, keadaan sosioekonomi di tebing bandar New York ni tidak ubah seperti di negara 'Dunia Ketiga'. Ramin Bahrani memang hebat dalam memberi gambaran suasana sesuatu 'tempat', dan penghuninya juga. Walaupun filem ini hanyalah filem kecil dengan pelakon-pelakon tak dikenali(tapi hebat), jauh sekalilah hendak memancing anugerah Oskar yang populis tu, tetapi kerana autensiti dan penangan emosinya, aku letakkan Chop Shop dalam carta filem wajib tonton tahun ini.

4.5/5

The Fall(Tarsem, 2008)

Fotografi The Fall memang cantik. Hasil imaginasi Tarsem memang aku kagumi (aku tak faham kenapa dia tak mau letak nama penuhnya: Tarsem Singh. Tak apalah, elok lagi daripada 'McG'.). Tapi kalau cantik luaran saja tak guna juga. Tak ada apa yang boleh aku korek dari ceritanya yang kosong dan agak meleret tu. Ia tak memberi aku 'rasa' apa-apa juga, sepertimana filem-filem Terrence Malick yang hampir tiada plot tu dapat lakukan pada aku. Nasib baik kemistri antara 2 pelakon utamanya, Catinca Untaru(terutamanya) dan Lee Pace sudah cukup untuk menangkap perhatian aku hingga penghabisan. Macam filem 300 arahan Zack Snyder, menonton 'trailer'-nya lebih mengujakan daripada produk keseluruhannya. Tapi disebabkan keaslian dan keunikan visualnya(aku menunggu format HD), aku tidak boleh tidak menghormatinya.

3/5

THE DARK KNIGHT

2008-07-22T22:20:00.004+08:00

**WARNING: This review may contain spoilers....and excessive hyperboles.**

"Madness.....is like gravity....all you need is a little PUSH!"

Chaos is the thematic centerpiece of Nolan's dark, grim, complex crime drama. Yes, to group The Dark Knight along with the other superhero/comic book movies is doing it a tremendous disservice. It holds out all on its own, away from the likes of the usual summer blockbuster fares, even away from its predecessor Batman Begins. So completely different and transcendental it is that it made Spiderman 2 or Iron Man feels like Saturday morning cartoons, dwarfing them almost to the point of irrelevancy; not saying that they're not good films in their own rights, bu they're just great escapisms, nary anything more than that. The Dark Knight not only managed to beat the apparently impossible odds of it meeting the insane hype, but also surpassed whatever preconceived expectations. What I expected of it was purely on the superficial, traditional level; for it to be at least as cool, smart and exhilirating as Batman Begins(which it is). But from the get-go TDK uncompromisingly broke those expectations to pieces and struck me over the head with its immense ambition and scope that I staggered out of the theater in an epipheny, struggling to collect myself to what I had just experienced. So many ideas and rays of brilliance are crammed into this 2 1/2 hour movie that I felt compelled to watch it again as soon as possible. Now that I've seen it a second time, all the 'puzzles' fit perfectly into place, revealing the hulking 'beast' hidden beneath the mask of 'pop entertainment'.

I will not talk much about the late Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker, as it has been universally praised already. And I share the enthusiasm very much but not to neglect the equally impressive Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart, who is less flashy but still pulsating with moments of intensity. The rest of the returning cast members; Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine are all better than before, thanks to the script that allows each of the characters their moments to shine instead of just stuck in the sidelines, particularly the role of Jim Gordon who is just as pivotal as Harvey Dent's. In fact, it is the dynamic relationships amongst the three of these "Gotham protectors"; Batman, Harvey Dent and Jim Gordon, that lended to one of the film's major strength.

Batman is looking for someone to take up his mantle to fight for Gotham, but one that could do it in broad daylight and without the theatrics, the White Knight to the Dark Knight that can give the right inspiration to the people of Gotham, and he sees that in Harvey Dent. Jim Gordon still struggles to curb the corruptions radiating within his own ranks, That forced him to turn to Batman, who is incorruptable; an 'immovable object'. And like Batman, Gordon too sees Harvey as Gotham's hope. To both of them, Harvey Dent *is* the personification of the 'hero' that Gotham really needs. He is a symbol of good and courage, of law and order in a 'world without rules'. We see the three of them work together to bring down Gotham's organized crime families. But there is a new force that they failed to truly comprehend, a force of chaos in the form of The Joker.

The Joker is a pretty much a one-dimensional character, generally that would be a problem in other movies. But here, he needs to be that way, enigmatic and as he puts it, an "agent of chaos" - ala Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men. There's no back story or motivations, other than to cause anarchy, and to show that underneath it all people are just as ugly as him. That when their lives is at stake, in moments of desperation, or the things that they perceived to be dear to them are threatened to be stripped away, when there is no law that binds them, at that point people will succumb to their true nature. Ultimately The Joker feels that he's better than them because he does not hide what he is. He is free, he's not bounded by rules; external or his own. He has nothing to lose, he does not even care if he lives or dies. As he said, he just do things, he has no plans. People are easily intimidated, easily broken because they cling too much to whatever their future plans are. Their hopes and dreams or whatever the general perception of a normal life is in a civilized society that they are desperately trying to protect. The Joker exploits this in his reign of chaos. He performs a series of 'social experiments', a test of seemingly impossible moral choices, to reveal how far civilized society can endure without falling apart, without breaking their 'moral code' or the domesticated law and order of civilization that they so depend on.

The standoffs and the dynamics between The Joker and Batman is what drive this film. The Joker is the pure opposite of Batman, the other side of the same coin. The Joker sees through what Batman could not. For without Batman, he wouldn't exist; there wouldn't be any purpose for him to exist. With the Joker seemingly in control for the bulkier part of the film's duration, most would probably fail to notice that Batman or Bruce Wayne is equally imperative to the film's narrative, in a more cerebral way. It's about how Batman is affecting the people around him and Gotham in general. How his existence has changed Gotham forever; for better or worse. He may be Gotham's protector or a hero, but at the same time he is the cause of the 'escalation'. That's the existential dilemma, or maybe one of the, that Bruce Wayne had to face throughout the film, even after the end of the film.

I couldn't talk enough of the film, as there's a lot of depth and thematic complexities laden in it that warrant extensive thoughts and repeated viewings. My rants just skim the film’s surface. There is definitely a lot to chew on: its relevancy to society, post-9/11 paranoia, and parallelism to the ‘War On Terror’, to name a few. Heck it's probably the most thematically complex blockbuster film ever made, the side of The Matrix Trilogy. Except The Dark Knight is actually a considerably more well-made picture, even Oscar-worthy(other than Heath Ledger's performance which is as far as I'm concerned is locked for a nomination, provided the Oscars intends to preserve what credibility it has left). Why not? It's certainly deeper, and better even than most Oscar winners. If The Departed or LOTR managed to win a chuck load of awards, why can't TDK? Impeccable directing, a supremely intelligent script, great acting, amazing technical virtuosities, and the list go on. Everything about the film is so intelligently conceived and well put together. It is hands down the best superhero film ever made, and a damn near perfect film on its own rights. I admit there are a few flaws; some choppy editing, sloppily-shot fight sequences (but still an improvement over Batman Begins), and a few overly-expository dialogues. But they're all just a few black spots in a beautiful, majestic tapestry and barely mar the more than 2 hours of awesomeness. Iron Man brought back the fun and smarts in superhero movies, but for me what The Dark Knight did to the genre equals to what 2001: A Space Odyssey did to the sci-fi genre. It completely breaks the genre’s known rules, reinvigorates it, and sets a new benchmark, proving that popular entertainment can be great cinematic art.

5/5

2008-07-19T02:16:00.002+08:00

Yep, I just got back from The Dark Knight.

And I was left in awe. I am at a lost for words. I need a second viewing for my full review. But as it stands, the hype is justified. This is one of those extremely rare occasions that a film met, and exceeded expectations. And I daresay, The Dark Knight is the best theatrical experience of my life to this date.

Full review coming soon.

WHY SO SERIOUS?

2008-07-04T20:15:00.002+08:00

Sorry, no new reviews yet as I'm going through my first week at Huawei Technologies. And it's darn nerve-wrecking, btw.

But 'cinema'-wise, I couldn't be more excited for The Dark Knight. Seriously, it looks like Chris Nolan and team has outdone themselves(especially the marketing team) and created a film that transcends the 'superhero' genre. I'm wetting my pants off in anticipation! Check out these glowing early reviews.

"Dark, grim, haunting and inventive, Dark Knight is nothing short of brilliant, representing Chris Nolan's most accomplished and mature work to date...." - Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.com

"Warner Bros. Pictures' THE DARK KNIGHT is not only the best film I have seen this year, but quite possibly the best superhero movie ever made." - Brad Miska, Bloody Disgusting

"The haunting and visionary Dark Knight soars on the wings of untamed imagination." - Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

"Martin Scorsese's The Departed. Michael Mann's Heat. Brian de Palma's The Untouchables. And now, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight can join the ranks as one of the best crime dramas in modern movie history." - Staci Layne Wilson, Horror.com

Track the "tomatometer"--->http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_dark_knight/

A LESSON ON FILMS

2008-06-09T12:21:00.007+08:00

KINEMA NO TENCHI (Yoji Yamada, 1986)

Aku tonton di FINAS. Filem daripada legenda Yoji Yamada, dan selepas tonton Kinema No Tenchi, memang patut pun dipanggil legenda walaupun taklah banyak karyanya yang aku dah tonton. Aku hanya pernah tonton Tasogare Seibei dan Bushi No Ichibun. Tapi kadang-kadang dengan satu filem saja pun dah cukup untuk mengesan kehebatan seorang pengarah, macam selepas aku tonton Ladri Di Biciclette oleh Vittorio De Sica. Apa yang aku boleh katakan, kalau semua pembikin filem Malaysia tonton filem ini, dan belajar daripada filem ini, aku yakin tak ada lagi filem-filem bodoh lagi sampah yang mencemar industri tempatan. Ia sudah pasti menjadi antara filem yang paling dekat di hati aku. Satu filem yang begitu sempurna untuk pencinta filem.

5/5

'It's Not The Years, It's The Mileage.'

2008-05-28T11:33:00.015+08:00

INDIANA JONES & THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (Steven Spielberg, 2008)

The iconic character is back with his whip and fedora, albeit a little too late. Indiana Jones and The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (KOTCS) marks the 4th Indy outing after 19 years since The Last Crusade, and the hype and anticipation built up by the fans (me included) was obviously extremely high to the point that it is, in fact, impossible for the film to meet the expectations. Personally, I feel that it is truly unfair to expect Spielberg and Lucas to successfully repeat the magic that was Raiders Of The Lost Ark, which is the epitome of action/adventure filmmaking, a yardstick to which subsequent films of its genre are measured. The previous three Indiana Jones releases have always belonged in their own 'class', although some, or maybe a lot might argue that Temple Of Doom was decidedly considered a 'mess' compared to its two counterparts. But it's still a 'fun mess'. Therefore, there is a definitive standard that audiences can and should be able to expect on an Indiana Jones film, especially for one that is almost two decades in the making. There should be more than enough qualified material to be put forth with that amount of time for creative brainstorming. However, after the travesty that was George Lucas' Star Wars prequels (at least to most fans), there is fear that he would destroy another of his franchise. But, fortunately, the only difference for Indy's case is that Steven Spielberg is on the director's chair. So it could not possibly be bad, could it? We are talking Steven Spielberg, the master of Summer blockbusters here, right? Well, maybe if he would have shot a different script. But then again the film is also by far not Spielberg at the top of his game.

The film opens roughly 20 years after Indy's last appearance, in the 1950s to be exact when the US are at 'war' with Communism; hence the villains being Russians rather than Nazis. Our hero is held captive by Russian troops led by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett, in a hairdo much like Javier Bardem's in No Country For Old Men), in order to help them find an 'item' stored in a warehouse in Area 51. To be honest I couldn't help but feel giddy when Harrison Ford first appeared on screen, especially the first shot where only Indy's silhouette was visible. I smiled right up to my ears. For me it's because of the first time of seeing the character on the big screen, along with hearing the classic John Williams' theme, that broght the shivers in me. Yes, he's old but after 10 minutes I just didn't notice the age and even at some points he looked just like he did 20 years ago, which is darn amazing at 64. There's no denying that Harrison Ford is still Indiana Jones. And I can't help but feel nostalgic with the appearance of the Ark Of The Covenant (the 'McGuffin' in Raiders Of The Lost Ark); a clever inclusion in my opinion. The first act of the film in the warehouse seemed promising, I thought, though not exactly as awesome as I wanted to. Unfortunately however, the film descends into the ridiculous and dull after that. The latter being a word I did not expect to use to describe a Spielberg film.

The film has lost the wit and charm of the dialogues present in the previous Indiana Jones installments. To put it bluntly, they are terrible and totally uninspired. David Koepp's script is overladen with heavy expositions and dull banters between the characters, with several jokes plugged in that fall flat most of the time. After the rather exciting first act all the audience get is expositions, a chase sequence, and then more boring expositions pertaining the legend of the crystal skulls. Apparently Koepp missed the importance of 'visual storytelling', and the phrase 'show, don't tell'. Great character actors John Hurt and Ray Winstone are wastefully utilized, spurting one-dimensional lines and barely providing any weight to the overall film's plot. Even the reunion of Marion Ravenwood and Indy failed to bring back the chemistry again, because basically they didn't have any worthy exchanges to spark it up with. Surprisingly Shia LeBouf managed to hold his ground given the bad material, and certainly was not dwarfed even in the legend's presence. It doesn't help that the story itself equals the blandness of the script, with plot elements worth enough to only fill about 20 minutes of actual film.

According to IMDB, producer Frank Marshall is noted to have stated that the film uses CGI only when necessary. With all the CGI jungles and backgrounds, I doubt that there's much truth in that. Not to mention the CGI monkeys. The film seems to have lost a good part of the series' old-fashioned vibe by going digital. When it comes to visual effects, Spielberg always knows how and when to use them, but surprisingly not in this case. There's too much unnecessary CGI. It felt like George Lucas was looming over Spielberg throughout the shooting course, constantly bitching to use his visual effects toys whenever possible. It's either that, or Spielberg has started to show a dwindle in creativity. A sign he's already shown quite a bit in War Of The Worlds.

Another problem is that Indiana Jones never seemed to be in any real danger, a fault of CGI too I think. Chases after chases, in and out of waterfalls, it's not more than a scratch for Indy. This takes out the suspense and exhiliration of seeing the hero struggle his way out of obstacles. Yes, I know that it's impossible for him to die, but the previous installments still showed some vulnerabilities on the hero's behalf instead of depicting him as Superman. I think what started to kill the movie for me is the point where (spoiler alert!) Indy survives an atomic bomb explosion by hiding in a refrigerator, not to mention it being thrown off clear a few hundred feet by the said explosion, with him inside. And miraculously our 64-year-old titular character just came out of the refrigerator with only a few bruises. That's a serious "what the hell" moment for me. Hey, I can handle sequences that strain credulity to a degree, but not as over-the-top as "surviving a nuclear bomb in a damn refrigerator"! The scene doesn't even serve any real purpose other than to have another impossible situation for Indy to come out of. Yes the series is notorious for its over-the-top sequences, but they barely scrape the ones in KOTCS and plus they all have a fair share of genuine threats to balance out the goofy ones. KOTCS holds no reservation in going all out crazy. It has man-eating giant red ants that would climb on top of each other to have a reach at you, and not forgetting the candidate for most cringe-inducing scene of the year: the monkey-swinging. (spoiler ends)

To be fair there is some fun to be had amidst it all. It's not a complete disaster, but the film in overall gave off a feeling of a missed opportunity. I think if you can get past that nuclear bomb bit, you can get past everything else the film throws out; including the final resolution that is too ridiculous even for an Indiana Jones film. Apparently I can't.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Verdict: 2.5/5

I'M FINISHED

2008-05-23T20:32:00.003+08:00

grraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadddddddddddddd!!!! :)

The End.

Thus it's The Beginning.

Thank you all.

Thank you God.

COUNTING THE DAYS

2008-05-07T02:49:00.009+08:00

IRON MAN (Jon Favreau, 2008)

"Will that be all, Mr Stark?"
"Yes, that'll be all, Miss Potts."

The first superhero movie released in a year chock-full of superhero movies. Aside from The Dark Knight(which undoubtedly will be awesome!), I wasn't looking forward to any of the other releases. And considering the Iron Man's trailer looked a bit too much like 'Fantastic 4', I was indeed skeptical. But after seeing the movie, The Dark Knight certainly needs to be no less than amazing if it wants to be the crown jewel of this year's comic book movie, or any other year, for that matter.

Iron Man feels light and simple compared to other Marvel movie juggernauts such as Spiderman or X-Men. However, the lack of emotionally dramatic elements apparent in those films certainly does not degrade Favreau's own take on the superhero genre. It has its own spirit, lending more emphasis on pure classic blockbuster fun instead of indulging on teenage angst and pithy love conflicts that plagued the Spiderman series(worked for the first 2, but not for number 3). Clearly the filmmakers paid attention in reaching a larger demographic than comic book nerds. It's considerably more mature, taking on a more global issues into its storyline. We don't see Iron Man attending to bank robberies and petty criminals, instead he flew half across the globe (though geographically questionnable) to rescue Afghan villagers from warlords, blow up a tank, and play chase with fighter jets(in one of the film's highlight).

The action sequences are quite few and far between, and short to boot. But when it's there it's entirely exhilirating. The aerial chase alone is more engrossing than Transformer's 20 minutes final battle. And I particularly liked the dominant application of practical effects, animatronics and pyrokinetics over CGI. Truth be told I've already grown sick and indifferent towards CGI, no matter how good it looks (Yes I know I've said it before, and I'll say it again). Fake is still fake. Favreau, like Spielberg, apparently knows where and when to use CGI.

Robert Downey Jr is the heart and soul of Iron Man. He embodies Tony Stark, and just a pure delight to watch on screen. In my opinion Tony Stark is probably more entertaining to watch than his alter-ego. The rest of the cast is also great in their shoes and every character is put to good use, including the non-humans.

The only major gripe I have in an otherwise excellent movie is the rather anti-climactic and rushed final act. It does not feel up to par with the high standards the first half has established. Some viewers may be left wanting more, as the final battle with Iron Monger is pretty uninspired in comparison with the earlier action sequences.

Flaws aside, the movie is fun through and through. Iron Man is the blockbuster movie to beat and it has managed to give a great kickstart to the summer movie season. Witty script, perfect cast, and great action all add up to a wholesome, smart and just plain kick-ass movie that non-superhero lovers may also enjoy. At this rate, if this is any indication to a bigger, better sequel, it may surpass Spiderman as the best Marvel movie franchise;it's already better than the first Spiderman movie.

4/5

AKU SIBUK

2008-04-13T23:45:00.002+08:00

Ini aku. Tensyen dengan FYP.

[REC] (Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza, 2007)

Cloverfield boleh pegi mampus. Beginilah caranya buat filem hand-held camera ala-'Blair Witch Project'.

Aku akan paksa peminat-peminat filem horror untuk tengok filem ini. Aku jamin inilah filem yang korang tunggu-tunggu. Gila seram! Entah berapa kali aku terpaksa kutip balik jantung aku kat lantai.

4/5

Director Anthony Minghella Dies at 54

2008-03-19T14:51:00.004+08:00

FILMOGRAPHY:
Breaking And Entering (2006)
Cold Mountain (2003)
The Talented Mr Ripley (1999)
The English Patient (1996)
Mr Wonderful (1993)
Truly Madly Deeply (1990)

QUOTE OF THE DAY

2008-03-09T14:19:00.003+08:00

"...nampaknya rakyat Kelantan masih ingin masuk syurga."
- seorang ahli panel dalam Keputusan Pilihanraya, TV3

...agaknya betullah tu. :)

PILIHANRAYA

2008-03-06T18:27:00.005+08:00

Tapi.... aku sokong dari jauh saja. hehe

MURTABAKK!!!!

2008-02-29T01:28:00.003+08:00

For once, not a 'movie-related' post. Just wanna share this very funny video by comedycourt. Thanks to Det. :)

So "Who Wants To Be A Billionaire?"

And The Oscar Goes To....

2008-02-25T15:35:00.003+08:00

....NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. As expected.

I was rooting for There Will Be Blood, but when the Coens got the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, I knew right-off that they would win. Anyhow, TWBB getting the awards for actor(Daniel Day-Lewis) and cinematography(Robert Elswit) is enough for me. And hurrah for Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova for Best Original Song!

Anyway, here's a parody clip of the famous "Milkshake" scene in There Will Be Blood. I dunno about you, but I thought this is pretty freakin hilarious.

Another one. A re-enactment of the scene by Brandon Hardesty.

SEMPENA OSCAR

2008-02-21T23:10:00.017+08:00

UPDATE NOTE: Forgot to insert No.5(Tropa De Elite) in the initial post.

The 80th Academy Awards is on 24th Feb. This is my list of the Top 10 Films of 2007.

10)NO END IN SIGHT by Charles Ferguson

If you want to see what the Bush Administration did to post-war Iraq, or if there's even a slight interest to what's going on over there, you owe it to yourself to see this eye-opening documentary film.

9)SUNSHINE by Danny Boyle

"At the end of time, a moment will come when just one man remains. Then the moment will pass. Man will be gone. There will be nothing to show that we were ever here... but stardust."

I'd say Sci-Fi is my favorite film genre. Not only does Sunshine revived the space sci-fi genre, it's also one of the most visually breathtaking films of the year. The Mercury scene alone made me hold my breath every time. A retread of such sci-fi classics as Alien and 2001:A Space Odyssey, raising philosophical questions as well as dishing out amazing action sequences. It's flawed, sure, but the images in the film stuck with me ever since I saw it. It has kind of grown on me with repeated viewings, to the point that the final 3rd of the movie doesn't bug me that much anymore.

8)NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN by Ethan & Joel Coen

"You can't stop what's coming."

Aaahh arguably America's favorite movie of 2007. For good reasons, too. It's a masterfully directed thriller/western, extremely tense and suspenseful from start to finish. Plus, it's aided with amazing performances by the cast, particularly Javier Bardem. This is the Coens' darkest, most violent and thought-provoking film yet.

7)ZODIAC by David Fincher

"Before I kill you, I'm going to throw your baby out the window."

Part serial killer movie, part police procedural. It could draw up comparison with Memories Of Murder, where the narrative is more on the 'obsession in finding the killer' than 'finding the killer' itself. But what Memories Of Murder don't have is David Fincher's distinct visual presentation. It's not the kind of serial killer movie that wants to bludgeon the audience with senseless violence and cheap scares. It's subtler, more intelligent and calculated than that. The 'chills' creep out from inside; psychologically. The murder at the lake scene is downright the scariest scene in any film of last year. All with nary an ounce of blood in sight. What a travesty that even Norbit got 1 nomination and Zodiac got none.

6) LE SCAPHANDRE ET LE PAPILLON/THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY by Julian Schnabel

"Other than my eye, two things aren't paralyzed, my imagination and my memory."

The movie that makes me feel very grateful to be ALIVE and well. A look of the world from the eyes of a 'dead' body, but a living soul.

5) TROPA DE ELITE/THE ELITE TROOP by Jose Padilha

The Brazillian film that won the Golden Bear for Best Film at the Berlin Film Festival 2008. Tropa De Elite repeats the success of Cidade De Deus, delving into the world of drug trafficking, crime and social crisis in Rio De Jeneiro. It's frenetically paced and the violence depicted makes Cidade De Deus rather tame in comparison. The film focuses on the corruption of the police force, and the BOPE elite troop's role in cleansing the slums of drug trafficking. The squad's methods are indeed questionable, but the situation is not as 'simple' as it seems. Jose Padilha does not strive for simple 'conclusion' towards the issue, and it's open for the audience's own interpretation and judgement. Even if the film's message and sociopolitical debate it conjures up doesn't interest you, it's still is a one heck of an engaging and entertaining film.

4)RATATOUILLE by Brad Bird

"I don't LIKE food, I LOVE it. If I don't LOVE it, I don't SWALLOW."

As simple as the dialogue line above may seems, it actually speaks volumes. A masterpiece from auteur Brad Bird(with the kind of films he's making, he deserves to be called an 'auteur'). A feast for the eyes, heart and soul. It's about a rat who loves to cook, but also an allegory to the filmmaking industry and art in general. In my opinion, Pixar's best outing to date.

3)ONCE by John Carney

"What's the Czech for "Do you love him"?"

Made with only $150,000(about RM500,000!), and grossed more than $9million in limited release in the US. Once is the surprise hit of the year, loved by both critics and audiences. This is the definitive example that you can make an excellent film without millions of dollars in budget. All you actually need is heart, honesty and talent. Malaysian filmmakers should take note! And what's more commendable is the central theme of its 'love story'. Which is 'love without physical contact'. I'd say it's even more 'sopan' than our own local romance films. Quoted from Steven Spielberg himself,"A little movie called Once gave me enough inspiration to last the rest of the year’.". Hear, hear!

2)THERE WILL BE BLOOD by Paul Thomas Anderson

"I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE!!"

God how I've waited so long to watch this film. The very idea of Paul Thomas Anderson working together with the legendary Daniel Day Lewis is enough to make film buffs wet their pants. It's the 'dream team'. One is the best film director below 40 and the other is the very definition of an "actor". There Will Be Blood further cements Daniel Day Lewis' status as the greatest living actor. They should just hand over the Oscar to him. His amazing performance was only rivalled by Paul Thomas Anderson's cinematic genius. PTA is basically the "other star" of the movie and it would be great if he gets the coveted Best Director Oscar. This is one film for the ages, though I think it would divide viewers considering it's rather unconventional filmmaking. In basic term it's kinda weird. Film lovers would marvel at it for years to come, but regular movie-goers may end up scratching their heads trying to catch the subtle display of 'genius' inherent in it. Maybe it's too "smart" for its own good. Now I feel another viewing is in order to fully savor the awesomeness of There Will Be Blood.

1)THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD by Andrew Dominik

"Can't figure it out: do you want to be like me or do you want to BE me?"

I'm not really sure which one to choose, between this and There Will Be Blood. On a different day maybe I'll put There Will Be Blood. Nevertheless, both are fantastic films in their own rights. The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford is a profound cinematic experience. It's beautifully poetic, thought-provoking and emotionally investing. It excels in every aspect of filmmaking. Be it the acting, cinematography, direction, etc. It's a wonder that the film didn't get the recognition it deserves(in the Oscars). Also, the film boasts Brad Pitt's best performance to date. However, it is Casey Affleck that dominates the acting department. It's not only a wondrous achievement in the visual/technical sense, but also in its attention to character development. Robert Ford is both a detestful and a sympathetic persona. And Jesse James, as ruthless as he may seem, is enigmatic and hopelessly caught in an inner turmoil;that I 'feel' for him. And thus makes the inevitable outcome all the more saddening, for both party. This is truly one of the highlights for films of this decade, and one of the best 'Western' film ever made.

Honorable Mentions:
Haru Biru, Mukhsin, 4 Months 3 Weeks And 2 Days, Knocked Up, Juno, Michael Clayton, Darfur:The Devil Came On Horseback, Redacted, Hot Fuzz, Superbad, In The Valley Of Elah, 12:08 East Of Bucharest, The Bourne Ultimatum, Sicko, Gone Baby Gone, Rescue Dawn, Eastern Promises, I Don't Want To Sleep Alone, Bridge To Terabithia, Death Proof, The King Of Kong:A Fistful Of Quarters

Rather Lovely Thing

2008-01-28T21:41:00.000+08:00

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (Andrew Dominik, 2007)

Aku malas nak tulis rebiu betul-betul. "Writer's block", orang kata. Tapi aku kena promo jugak filem ini. Sebab jarang sekali kita dapat satu filem yang 'sempurna', yang merempuh dinding keempat, dan pada akhirnya 'meletup' dengan hebat macam supernova. Kalau suka Terrence Malick, kau mesti akan suka gila filem ini. Malah, aku rasa Andrew Dominik telah hasilkan "filem Malick" yang lebih baik daripada Malick sendiri. Sangat mengagumkan memandangkan ini hanya filem ke-2 dia, tapi dah macam orang yang dah berpuluh tahun mengarah filem. Aku tak dapat jumpa apa-apa yang cacat dari perspektif yang objektif, dan secara subjektifnya memang jiwa filemi ni secocok dengan jiwa aku. Nah, markah sempurna aku bagi. Bravo!

5/5