Overnight Critic

Having abused the DVD-ROM in my ancient laptop to watch DVDs all night long, I felt like pretending to be a movie critic. Here it goes, the list of of the films. Pirated? Guilty as charged.

A Scanner Darkly

Casts: K. Reeves, R. Downey Jr., W. Harrelson, W. Ryder

What it says:

The movie is set in suburban Orange County, California in the future. It imagines a paranoid world in which it seems 2 of every 10 Americans have been hired by the government to spy on the other 8, in the name of national security and drug enforcement. (Hmm..are they sure the movie is set on the future?) When one reluctant government recruit (Reeves) is ordered to start spying on his friends, he is launched on a journey into the absurd, where outsourced government contractors largely define the social construct, where identities and loyalties are impossible to decode, and where not even his girlfriend can be trusted (this is not new, I guess). The film highlights the inconsistencies and ironic consequences of the war on drugs.

What I think:

The visual of the film is an eye candy, and the plot is a lullaby. The concoction of the two was potent enough to put any viewer into slumber. Zzz zzz zzz...


Irréversible

Casts: M. Belucci, V. Cassel, A. Dupontel

What it says:

Alex (Belucci) and Marcus (Cassel) are a couple whose story is told over the course of a fateful day. The tumultuous odyssey begins with brutal killing, and unspools in reverse to reveal the horrifying events that lead to the gut-wrenching, violent climax of the opening scene.

What I think:

Rarely did I see a movie with such a provocative display, evocative plot, and lingering aftertaste (of course, I'm just pretending to be a movie critic). The two infamous scenes had contrasting effects on me. The one with the fire extinguisher forced me to focus my eyes on the corner of the screen. The violence was such that I couldn’t bear watching, but didn’t want to look away. The one with the knife got me riveted and numb. The intensity was such that I didn’t want to watch, but couldn’t bear looking away. If you are planning to enrich your French (expletive) vocabulary, this one will make a great manual.

Moral: Girls, never walk home alone at night. Find the most suitable (and eligible) guy in the proximity to accompany you. [Grin...]


Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Casts: S. Baron Cohen

Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev (Cohen) embarks on a journey across America to make a documentary. As he zigzags across the nation, Borat meets real people in real situations with hysterical consequences. His backward behavior generates strong reactions around him, exposing prejudices and hypocrisies in American culture.

What I think:

Light and entertaining, I laughed politely here and there to several politically-incorrect mockeries. I didn’t expect much despite its nomination at the 79th Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, and the movie befitted. It was a welcomed change of mood, though, especially after watching Irréversible.


Babel

Casts: B. Pitt, C.Blanchatt, M. Akhzam, G. Garcia Bernal, K. Yakusho

What it says:

A rifle shot echoes through the rugged, mountainous terrain of Morocco, and the lives of four separate groups of strangers on three different continents collide: a vacationing American couple; a rebellious deaf Japanese teenager and her father; a Mexican nanny who, without permission, takes two American children across the border; and two Moroccan shepherd boys. But none of these strangers will ever meet one another.

What I think:

I wonder how Pitt manages to look good in any role/hairdo/clothes/no-clothes in any movies. Second thought, I don’t think I want to know.

I’d been looking forward to seeing Babel from the time it was played in the Jakarta Film Festival few months ago, but I failed to secure a seat. So I settled for a low quality, bootlegged DVD. Not exactly politically-correct, but one needs to adapt.

The movie offered something novel, and I particularly enjoyed the use of four different languages: English, Spanish, Arabic, and Japanese. One note about the Japanese, Yakusho’s acting performance as a deaf girl earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Female Supporting Act, the first for any Japanese actor/actress. Some movie critics claimed that Babel should have won the Best Picture instead of The Departed, but I’m not going to argue on that. I recommend the movie.

Moral: Kids, don't play with guns.


Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Casts: R. Downey Jr., V. Kilmer

What it says: Harry Lockhart (Downey Jr.) is basically a decent guy. Sure, he’s a petty thief who skates through life on a shaky cocktail of dog-eared charm and cockeyed optimism, but he wants to do the right thing. He just doesn’t know how, exactly. Harry’s perpetual bad luck takes a turn for the better when he and his partner are doing some after-hours Christmas “shopping” at a NYC toy store and the security alarm breaks up the party.

What I think:

The security alarm starts up another party, involving Kilmer (Gay Perry, a private-eye who is..well..gay) and Michelle Monaghan (Harmony Lane, Harry’s high-school heartthrob. The One Who Got Away? ^_^). Despite the title's resemblance to my own bitter experience, I don't have any strong opinion about the movie.


The Good Shepherd

Casts: M. Damon, A. Jolie, R. De Niro

Edward Wilson, the only witness to his father’s suicide and member of the Skull and Bones Society while a student at Yale, is a morally upright young man who values honor and discretion, qualities that help him to be recruited for a career in the newly founded Central Intelligence Agency. While working there, his ideals gradually turn to suspicion influenced by the Cold War paranoia present within the office. Eventually, he becomes an influential veteran operative, while his distrust of everyone around him increases to no end. His dedication to his work does not come without a price though, leading him to sacrifice his ideals and eventually his family.

What I think:

I would enjoy any movie featuring Angelina Jolie. Or Damon. Or De Niro (He is the director, by the way. The Good Shepherd is De Niro's second directorial undertaking after A Bronx Tale, which I also enjoyed very much).

Moral: Family first, career second. Mmm, or is it the other way around?


Underworld: Evolution

Casts: K. Beckinsale, S. Speedman

What it says:

The saga of war continues between the Death Dealers (vampires) and the Lycans (werewolves). The film traces the beginnings of the ancient feud between the two tribes as Selene (Beckinsale) and Michael (Speedman), the lycan hybrid, try to discover the secrets of their bloodlines. All of this takes them into the battle to end all wars as the immortals must finally face their retribution.


What I think:

Cool, dark and entertaining. It’s a blend of brutal limb-shredding, fast-paced action; immaculate lovemaking; and straightforward plot. Kate Beckinsale is indeed the most beautiful vampire, conveniently beating Ryder in Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Moral: Sunlight doesn't only cause cancer. It burns, too.