A. I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (***½)
What a fascinating film A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE is. An interesting chemistry of two very distinct styles. This movie was 15-year project by my favorite director the great
Stanley Kubrick (2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY). Whenever Kubrick tells a story, he tells it from a very focused cold point of view, sort of saying that if you don't see it his way, to hell with what you think. Yet his ideas and his vision are probably far beyond that of any director (yes, even Spielberg and Kurosawa). His films always see its themes from very unique, philosophical angles, with an assuredness that is unshakeable (even pretentious at times). His films force you think and never take time to explain what ideas he wishes to impart.
BAGONG BUWAN (***½)
A vast and beautiful greenery spreading over the mountains, rich blue waters, and lush forests. Against the backdrop, we hear the Islamic prayer songs of the Bangsamoro people, and see a crippled child walking along with his parents towards a mosque, a victim of war. BAGONG BUWAN is one of the rarest of Filipino films. It is a smart, unflinching, and heartbreaking look at the war in Mindanao between the Philippine government (during President Joseph Estrada's short stint) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), primarily through the eyes of the Bangsamoro (or Moros as they are more popularly known). But it is more than that, it is also a story of one's man beliefs being challenged by war, and in telling his ordeal, our beliefs are challenged as well. The love and care that went into the making of this movie is so evident, that it is a marvel,...
BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY (***½)
My girlfriend told me once that women really want men who like them just the way they are. It sounds so cliché and over-simplistic, but it is a sincere quality that most women have difficulty finding. BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY captures this essence and tells its story with such refreshing wit and irony. It's the story of an British angst-ridden woman named Bridget Jones (played deliciously perfect by Renee Zellweger) going through a crisis of being single in your thirties. She eats too much, drinks too much, and has nightmares of dying overweight, unwanted and being eaten by dogs. These are of course, normal fears everyone has (some of them anyway). She basically gets re-acquainted with a childhood friend in Mark Darcy (Colin Firth of SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE) and is having an affair with her playboy boss Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), and has too decide between the two of them.
CLOSER (***½)
Though CLOSER is somehow marketed as a romantic quadrangle, love is the furthest thing from its mind. It is really about how people use honesty for dishonest purposes. Its characters are some of the most revoltingly emotionally sadistic people I’ve ever seen on screen, inflicting pain in the subtlest of ways. These people don’t love each other; they’re in love with the idea of being in love.
FINDING NEVERLAND (***½)
In today’s world, any good-hearted gesture is immediately greeted with skepticism. So the thought of any man wishing to endear himself to young boys, even for the best reasons, becomes distasteful (Michael Jackson has walloped this idea into our collective consciousness). There is no evidence to suggest that Sir Barrie was a pedophile, and we will never be absolutely sure of what his motives were, good or bad. But knowing this makes FINDING NEVERLAND a remarkable accomplishment. It disarms our cynicism with the manner of Sir Barrie’s portrayal, opting to choose to give the benefit of the doubt when it came to his actions. And in doing so, it opens wonderful and moving insights on how Peter Pan might have come to life.
HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE (***½)
Developing a movie based on a novel is difficult, but making one based on a great novel can be like treading through a minefield. I am sure that is how Chris Columbus must've felt when he tackled the job of directing HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE. There are so many ways in which this film could have disappointed loyal fans of this story, but if its $90 million dollar three-day opening take is any indication, I'd say that this story is dead on. I myself have not read any of the Harry Potter novels, but I've heard from so many people that many of the scenes, events, and characters in the movie are as exactly as they would've imagined it.
HELLBOY (***½)
Hellboy is a comic book fan’s dream, and more. It has an entertaining premise, solid acting, crisp special effects, and brisk action. But what sets it apart is its quirkiness, and its willingness to be droll without losing grip of its taut execution. And in Ron Perlman, it delivers this quality through a remarkable performance that conveys an unmistakable humanity, within an unlikely superhuman protagonist.
HULK (***½)
Of all the big name superheroes Marvel has to offer, HULK is one of the easiest to gravitate to. It’s not hard to find what makes him appealing. Superficially, he is an unstoppable raging behemoth whose strength is rarely matched. This alone would be an obvious foundation for a film franchise. What is surprising (and ultimately refreshing) about this one is its willingness to explore the depth of the Hulk’s dilemma. If the film’s jade giant were absent from this movie, its story could still be the frame for another.
IRIS (***½)
If there is one thing I fear more than the loss of my life, it's the loss of my mind. Death is inevitable, but when one loses the very thing that makes him/her alive and human, yet continuing to breathe, it must be pure torture, both for those going through the pain, and those closest to them. I fear Alzheimer's Disease more than any other. It not only causes the loss of memory, but of logic, reason, and perception. It must be like being trapped in a labyrinth of your thoughts, not knowing how to tie things together. For me, there is no more frightening aspect.
K-PAX (***½)
You're a workaholic shrink at a Mental Institute who's seen it all. A new patient has been put into your care. He claims to be an alien from another planet, and looks like any ordinary person, who just happens to be in love with fruits (no pun intended). Of course you're skeptical. Session after session you attempt to disprove his apparent delusions. Yet the more you try, the more convincing the patient seems to be. Such is the premise of K-PAX, a film that could have been done in by its familiar storyline, but redeems itself by the freshness of its retelling, its detached manner, and skill.
OCEAN'S ELEVEN (***½)
OCEAN'S ELEVEN is advertised as a heist-flick. You've probably seen the trailers. Steal US$150 million from 3 Las Vegas casinos. Robbing a seemingly impregnable fortress for valuable items is a tired Hollywood formula (remember MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE?). Though the film presents this daunting task, it is the least of its merits. OCEAN'S ELEVEN is a glamorous production with even more glamorous stars and a classic script.
PUNCH DRUNK LOVE (***½)
When you think of Adam Sandler, you don’t think of thoughtful movies. He’s the last actor you’d think of casting in a Paul Thomas Anderson film (BOOGIE NIGHTS & MAGNOLIA). Yet here is in PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE, often bleakly at the heart of this story, and at times literally in the center of the screen during contemplative moments. And shockingly… he is brilliant.
RAY (***½)
Of all the musicians that I’ve come to love through the years, Ray Charles stands alone. He invented a musical genre that many young people claim they love to listen to, but know little about. With his bluesy voice and extraordinary use of screams and breaks, along with his big band sensibilities, he reshaped music forever by infusing secular themes into gospel melodies, played within jazz milieus. In doing so, he created soul music, which is in essence, rhythm and blues.
SAHARA (***½)
Ever since Indiana Jones found the Ark of the Covenant, dozens of pictures have been trying to recapture his swashbuckling aura. No desert escapade (save that of David Lean’s LAWRENCE OF ARABIA) has been as thrilling as Steven Spielberg’s INDIANA JONES movies (Part 1 and 3 to be exact). THE MUMMY was the last that came close, but not by much. If that film and its sequels captured the outlandish paranormal nature of Indiana’s quests, then SAHARA captures the danger and excitement. Here is the best desert adventure since INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE.
THE ALAMO (***½)
Lately, it has become all too easy to take potshots at American films that espouse their patriotism. Such movies are labeled as arrogant, due to America’s current standing in world opinion. But aren’t those who brand others as arrogant being arrogant themselves? Many of these accusers confuse some American films’ patriotism for jingoism. The former is characterized by love and devotion. The latter is chauvinistic and belligerent. And I am pleased to say that THE ALAMO fits squarely into the first category.
THE LAST SAMURAI (***½)
Of all the warrior clans in the world, are there any more honored than the samurai? With their elegant yet fearsome armor, lithe katanas, and noble ethos, they are probably the most respected fighters in all of filmdom. Every boy has idolized them growing up (myself included), and now with THE LAST SAMURAI, here is a film that honors them....
THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE (***½)
Film Noir is a movie genre that involves lowly characters getting involved in diabolical situations in a smooth, calm, and sometimes sexy manner. They struggle to make decisions for their survival, usually with devastating consequences to the people they live with, and to themselves. Like EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS and Tim Burton's PLANET OF THE APES does with their kind, but to a much greater extent, THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE is a loving tribute to film noir. It not only celebrates its genus, it goes further, pushing the limits of what its genre is all about. It is also the best-looking black and white film I have ever seen.
