Reviews & Ratings

[ara87]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

star trek 7.5/10

[One-Way]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

The Sweet Hereafter (Second Viewing)

American Cinematheque continued the Atom Egoyan tribute in Santa Monica with Egoyan' Oscar nominated film The Sweet Hereafter and his early feature film Family Viewing. I had previously seen The Sweet Hereafter once last year so I was definitely excited to see it on the big screen.

I had formed a stronger bond with Exotica as opposed to The Sweet Hereafter , primarily because of Egoyan's risks as a filmmaker. I did, however, adore the narrative throughout The Sweet Hereafter and its simplicity. The film is quite effective, elaborating on the process of grief and the difficulties that follow death. Egoyan beautifully explores these themes with solid performances by his actors; Ian Holm, Bruce Greenwood and Sarah Polley all enhance the already powerful story.

Once again, Atom Egoyan uses his longtime composer Mychael Danna, who brilliantly adds depth to the picture with his score. The opening sequence in the car wash is undoubtely one of my favorite Egoyan scenes; the music alone puts us in the backseat of the car. More importantly, Egoyan proves a film can be as powerful as the novel it was adpated from, and this is the perfect example of why he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Family Viewing

I was particularly excited to see Family Viewing, Atom Egoyan's second feature film which was completed when he was only 27. I had heard many comparisons to his latest film, Adoration, because of Egoyan's exploration with technology from that given time. In essence, both films follow a young boy who explores with video and learns about his family history through viewing film.

Family Viewing is an excellent attempt at filmmaking showing just why Atom Egoyan is a great storyteller. The film is just as complex as his others, using a non-linear structure to tell a narrative. The title sequence at the opening of this film is perhaps one of the best I've seen from a then young filmmaker.

The River Ran Red (Documentary)

My sister told me of an e-mail she received about a documentary screening at UCLA on Sunday, April 26. I did a little research on the filmmaker and, to my surprise, became inspired by the man. The River Ran Red is J. Michael Hagopian's final documentary film exploring the Armenian Genocide within a trilogy. Dr. Haogpian was to be present at the screening of his film and was scheduled to do a Q&A immediately afterward. Now 95, Dr. Hagopian was the first Armenian to receive his PhD from Harvard University. His biography was so inspirational that as an Armenian, I felt like I had to take this opportunity.

It was quite an honor to watch the film with Dr. Hagopian, even though I wasn't particularly interested in his body of work. After seeing the film and hearing him speak, I felt like I knew exactly who he was. The River Ran Red is as emotional as you can imagine; it includes 40 years of research, solely interviewing survivors of the genocide. These interviews were conducted by Dr. Hagopian himself during the 70s-90s.

The first half of the film will tear you apart; the film features stories you have never heard and can't even imagine hearing. Dr. Hagopian brilliantly constructed a powerful story within this documentary, and at times, explored a narrative quite common in feature film. His approach to filmmaking is inspirational as he provides a clear story alongside historical facts. When the film ended, the credits began to roll and not a single person applauded. It wasn't until the curtains closed and the lights came on when people began to bring their hands together. It was because they were all in tears, too emotional to applaud.

Fortunently, my girlfriend and I met J. Michael Hagopian after the screening. He is truly an incredible man and answered every single question every person had. There was not a single moment Dr. Hagopian showed his age; you would swear he wasn't a day older than 80. His energy and work ethic is unbelievable; he is a living genius. Dr. Hagopian was extremely kind as I told him my dreams of becoming a filmmaker. "Oh, there's a lot of work to do," he said, smiling at me. He then gently dug into his jacket and handed me his personal business card and softly said, "Call me if anything ever comes up."

[One-Way]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

Adoration (Early Screening followed by discussion panel with Atom Egoyan, Scott Speedman, Rachel Blanchard and Devon Bostick)

Adoration tells the very complex story of Simon (Devon Bostick), a young orphan living with his uncle, Tom (Scott Speedman), who explores his family history through a class exercise assigned by Sabine (Arsinée Khanjian). Simon further explores his assignment as he begins looking for answers to his own questions about his deceased parents, Rachel (Rachel Blanchard) and Sami (Noem Jenkins).

Atom Egoyan carefully constructs this screenplay and resorts to familiar themes, many of which he has explored in the past. The subject matter of the film allows for an intriguing story. As Simon develops his assignment, we touch on familiar subjects of terrorism. His story goes on to spark an Internet audience and results in extreme controversy. Surprisingly, technology is a character of its own in this film, and is used as a tool which allows Simon to explore his family history.

Adoration is told in non-chronological order, much like the rest of Egoyan's films. The complexity of the film adds to the intensity, and using this technique allows Egoyan to effectively reveal a certain piece of information at a time, allowing the audience to piece together the overall story. As usual, we are left with a profound and powerful story in the conclusion of the film.

Scott Speedman's performance as Simon's uncle was simply breathtaking. His range of emotion as he personally deals with anger and frustration becomes mesmerizing. As an audience, you're able to feel his words as they pierce through and touch you; however, you're also able to see the pain in his eyes. His sad eyes also tell a complex story, one which we begin to explore in the third act of the film. Also noteworthy is Rachel Blanchard who beautifully plays Simon's deceased mother. Kenneth Welsh, Simon's grandfather, describes her as an angel in the film. Throughout the film, her presence resembles that of an angel's. Egoyan also cleverly explores Rachel's past, which gives the necessary depth to her character, in the third act of the film. The young and clearly very talented Devon Bostick does a superb job alongside these talents. Although Bostick is not as experienced, this only adds the necessary innocence to his character.

Atom Egoyan tells a powerful story, as always, which provides multiple viewings. In a surprise attempt, the film flirts with the possibility of being a thriller as well explore the complexity of the story. Adoration is beautifully crafted and sets a meaningful story in the rapidly evolving age of technology. Adoration deservedly won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at Cannes in 2008 and is written, directed and produced by Atom Egoyan.

[TomServo]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

I think the problem is you like Amy Poehler. That's pretty awful.

Why? Along with Jane Krakowski, she is one of our best comediennes. But Krakowski is underused and Poehler doesn't seem to pick the right projects.

[One-Way]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

I think the problem is you like Amy Poehler. That's pretty awful.

[TomServo]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

Parks and Recreation was terrible. I only saw the pilot and I like Amy Poehler, but still... awful. Won't be giving it a chance.

[One-Way]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

The Hangover (Promotional Screening)

Warner Bros. Studios held a promotional screening for the upcoming comedy, The Hangover, directed by Todd Phillips. The Hangover tells the story of four friends who travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party, and somehow misplace the groom-to-be two days before his wedding, during their drunken misadventures. They wake up, obviously hungover, trying to retrace their steps while figuring out just what exactly happened the night before.

Like I Love You, Man, I didn't find myself interested after viewing the trailer and didn't think I would be impressed. However, Todd Phillips did bring us Old School, so I still held some faith for this film. With all that said, I really enjoyed the first act of the film. I think they established the characters very nicely, particularly Ed Helms and Bradley Cooper. Many of the characters have been done before, an overprotective girlfriend (Rachael Harris) who often borders psycho. However, the relationship between Helms and Harris is actually quite hilarious and it's all pretty clear when we first meet them.

Since the film has a very simple plot, it begins to slow down during the second act. I felt like the dialogue became a little repetitive, especially when each of the characters kept emphasizing how they can't remember what happened the night before. I also felt like the storyline with Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) brought down the quality of the film. It suddenly felt like we stopped laughing at the boys and focused our attention on a crazy Asian man out to kill them. I loved Jeong's character in Knocked Up but his character in The Hangover was a tad bit annoying. There is, however, one very hilarious scene when he is sitting in the back of the car as he rolls the window up. When you see it, you'll know what I mean.

The Mike Tyson cameo felt a little out of place as well. I felt like it wasn't quite necessary, although it was pretty awkward/hilarious when they find a tiger in the bathroom. Random, but definitely well played by Cooper and Galifianakis. While I'm on the topic of Zach Galifianakis, I should probably note he definitely does steal the film. I've been hearing many people say he is going to make a very lasting impression, and while I don't quite believe that's entirely true, I would love to see more of him in the future. I also believe The Hangover was told in a better fashion than, say, I Love You, Man. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I just believe it was constructed nicely. The first few minutes of the film features many famous songs which, for once, add to the film which gives it an interesting look. For example, the drive to Las Vegas and their arrival at Ceaser's Palace.

Overall, The Hangover features some solid peformances considering there aren't any real leading men in the film. Cooper, Helms, and Galifianakis do a superb job driving a backward story while pushing the film forward. Each character is quirky in his own way and it's definitely funny to see them feeding off each other. However, my main problem with the film was some of the storylines felt out of place and it would have been a funnier film if it were a little more simpler. I'd definitely recommend the film as a comedy and truly believe this could be a sleeper.

[One-Way]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

10 Minutes (Short Film)

I've seen 10 Minutes many times over the past year or so, but my sister wanted me to put it on for my brother-in-law and his family to see. 10 Minutes is impressive in every aspect; the camera tracking is flawless and adds to the intensity of the film. The film is very real and the fillmmakers took an extremely simple yet complex apporach to get their story across.

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

Natalee Holloway

Based on a true story of a girl after graduating goes to Aruba with her friends & one day when there at a club she gets drunk & goes in a car & suddenly vanishes. At the end finding out that the guy put a date rape pill in her drink & dumped her body in the ocean whe she was yet alive.

4/5

[One-Way]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

Is Anybody There?

I gained interest in this film when I read an article where Michael Caine said he was brought to tears when he first read the film's screenplay. I decided to do a little research on the film. I knew I had to see it when I realized it was directed by John Crowley, who directed Boy A, a very interesting and unique film. I think there were eight people in the theatre, which didn't surprise me much. Our general audience has a wider interest in films like 17 Again and Crank.

This film is a very nice approach to the understanding of death. The film follows Edward, a young boy growing up in a senior citizen's home, who is fascinated with what happens when you die. There, he meets and forms a unique relationship with Clarence, a retired magician. The film is surprisingly comedic at times, yet quieted during the last act as the film reaches true tragic proportions. Is Anybody There? will have you both laughing and crying, something cruely missing in today's cinema.

Rachel Getting Married

It's a very rare instance when a film will transport you into the world they have created right before your eyes. Rachel Getting Married tells the story of Kym, a recovering drug addict, who is granted permission to attend her sister's wedding. If you're anticipating a much more complex plot during the film, it never comes. The plot of the film is simple; however, the acquaintances and our feeling toward certain characters is where the film succeeds.

Rachel Getting Married is filmed quite unconventially, with handheld cameras very much like a documentary. This method allows us to be in the room with the characters as they approach each situation and problem with us. For this to work requires a brilliant screenplay, and that's where Jenny Lumet proves herself. Anne Hathaway deserved to win an Oscar over Kate Winslet's performance in The Reader, in my honest opinion. Her chemistry with her sister, mother and father are nothing short of amazing.