Status: Coz I try and try to walk away, but I know this crush ain’t goin’ away…
Music: Crush - David Archuleta

*Don’t cross: Deadly.

Another short conversation with a friend over Yahoo Messenger.

Yoshke: Done reading?
Robin: Aye aye. Sweet. Mushy.
Yoshke: Should I say “Thanks?”
Robin: lol. How come all your short, short, short stories are about friends falling in love?
Yoshke: NOT ALL. Just the ones I post on my blog.
Robin: Tell me, are you in love with a friend?
Yoshke: No.
Robin: Don’t tell me it’s me.
Yoshke: Whoah, is it just me or it really turned windy here in cyberspace?
Robin: Windy in cyberspace? You’re crazy.
Yoshke: And you’re presumptuous! Assuming much?
Robin: So why the fascination?
Yoshke: I just love writing about it but it doesn’t mean I’m in that predicament.
Robin: You’re in love with a friend. Who is it?
Yoshke: I am not.
Robin: Do I know him?
Yoshke: I am not in love with anyone.
Robin: One of your college friends? Office friends?
Yoshke: I will never be in love with a friend. I can’t be.
Robin: Oh, it’s one of those little rules you impose on yourself.
Yoshke: Yeah. And you know, when I like someone, I tell him right off.
Robin: Whore.
Yoshke: I meant, I don’t befriend someone just because I like him. Because once the friendship is drawn, there’s no crossing the line for me.
Robin: What if he’s the one to cross the line?  /:]
Yoshke: A speeding truck will run him over. =))
Robin: lol
Yoshke: You see, next to family, I value friendships the most. And I don’t wanna screw it up just so I could be in a romantic relationship when I can just fall in love with someone else with which there’s no friendship to screw up.
Robin: Man, you ARE in love with a friend.
Yoshke: I am not! And I’m signing out if you say it again.
Robin: You’re in love with a friend.

I am not. Never have been. Never will be. I SWEAR.

…

Note: I was supposed to write a full-blown genre criticism of The Dark Knight but I figured writing something too Film-graduate-ish is uncalled for. So here are some random thoughts about it and the other Batman movies. For what it’s worth, I saw the following movies again recently. You know, just to refresh my memory.

The Dark Knight (2008)
Genre: Action, Thriller; Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman

One of the things I hate the most is too much hype. This unsolicited noise has always spoiled fine movies such as Brokeback Mountain and Atonement for me, not appreciating them because they did not reach the high bar that the hype made me set for them. And this is precisely the reason I want to watch movies on its opening day. And yes, I saw The Dark Knight on its opening day. Haha.

The Dark Knight is the first uberhyped film ever that I could swear deserves all the noise around it. It gave me everything I expected and hoped for in a Batman movie, and then some. And with all my biases aside (being someone who worships Christian Bale and Batman himself), I can say that this is the best mainstream superhero movie ever to grace the silverscreen.

Director Christopher Nolan surprised me with Batman Begins, giving me exactly what I wanted — a realistic approach. After all, Batman has no superpowers and did not hail from some faraway planet. And like its protagonist, the film fosters a cinematic atmosphere that is believable yet alarming. A superhero movie in which every character is justified, motivated, and above all, human.

With this very credible headstart, Nolan managed to expand and intensify the story with The Dark Knight. Just when you think you’re seeing a formulaic action flick — gripping chase scenes, breathtaking fight sequences, jaw-dropping stunts— it destroys the sub-genre’s many conventions. Like in all Batman movies, the America-as-the-world-superhero idea is absent here. The superhero admits he can’t do things on his own and not for long. The superhero is willing to sacrifice his reputation for the greater good. It is indeed a superhero movie but Batman isn’t the only superhero here. We see superheroes in the political arena, in the judicial system, in law enforcement, and of course, in the people, as represented by Harvey Dent, Jimmy Gordon and Batman. All bear a potential to beat the menacing times.

The movie isn’t about Batman. It is about Gotham and how its people struggle to make their city a better place. But I couldn’t help but feel like watching a Batman movie in a “Godfather” setting. But what awes me most is that its moral subtext sneaks up on you that you’d forget that it is a superhero movie. It poses ethical dilemmas and redefines heroism through Joker, a man who has an unrelenting passion for mayhem. Joker is everything we want in a villain — opaque, heavy, and “immovable.” He shakes our definition of evil, questions our self-righteousness, and challenges our moral social decisions to a massive degree.

It has to be expected that Heath Ledger steal the show. Ledger’s Joker is so insanely awesome and genuinely frightening that I would never see clowns the same way again. If he receives an Oscar nomination for this performance, it will not be because it’s such a pity he passed away but because he earned it. And, of course, the rest of the cast are also highly commendable. Lucky for Ledger he had the most challenging role.

Oh Gawd, why am I so serious? 5.0

…

Batman Begins (2005)
Genre: Action, Thriller; Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Katie Holmes

Prior to The Dark Knight, I considered Batman Begins the best superhero movie ever. Actually, I thought it was a toss between this and Batman Returns (though I enjoyed Begins a bit more). I’m a writer and what I want the most when seeing a film is some emotional connection even when there is no way I could relate to the character. And there had never been a superhero movie with excellent character development until Batman Begins. Christopher Nolan dug deeper into Bruce Wayne to let the audience see what made Batman the Caped Crusader. It makes the audience understand where he’s coming from and explains what drives him. The movie is action-packed as expected but what sets it apart is that it offers a thrilling psychological tour into the mind and soul of a troubled superhero. 4.5

…

Batman and Robin (1997)
Genre: Action, Thriller; Directors: Joel Schumacher
Stars: George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alicia Silverstone, Uma Thurman, Chris O’Donnell

Batman and Robin is my least favourite of all the Batman movies. Why? Simply because it has an undernourished story covered with the glamour of its cast, on which it capitalises. The plot is just sooo lame and loose. Take away Batman and it wouldn’t feel like a Batman movie.

On the good side, of all the Batman movies, this might be the one that children would enjoy best. After all, everything in it is kinda, er, what’s that word? — Immature.

Thank God George Clooney, Chris O’Donnell, Alicia Silverstone and Uma Thurman are SOOO HOT. They made all the points here. 2.0

…

Batman Forever (1995)
Genre: Comedy, Action, Thriller; Director: Joel Schumacher
Stars: Val Kilmer, Chris O’Donnell, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman

Batman Forever is pretty enjoyable and makes more sense than Batman and Robin. But this Schumacher’s movie pales in comparison to its predecessor Tim Burton’s Batman Returns. I have a number of issues with it.

1. Tommy Lee Jones’s Two Face is very much like Jack Nicholson’s Joker. It shouldn’t be the case. Two Face is one heck of a conflicted character whose past is well-known to the public (the public in the movie and the public in the real world). I would have loved it had I felt for Two Face even just a little in this film. But sadly, na-uh. He’s an empty character. Or seems like it.

2. The Riddler and Two Face look like twins. Nuff said.

3. Bruce Wayne’s trauma wasn’t given much attention. It should’ve been explored and exploited. It’s a good dramatic mechanism that could’ve driven the entire plot.

But because Nicole Kidman is in it, I still enjoyed it a lot. Haha. 2.5

…

Batman Returns (1992)
Genre: Comedy, Action, Thriller; Director: Tim Burton
Stars: Michael Keaton, Michell Pfeiffer, Danny DeVito

The bat, the cat and the penguin. Batman Returns is one heck of an effective comedy that I almost forgot it was a Batman movie. Haha. It’s just sooo hilarious. But aside from its entertainment value, there are two things that I love, love, love about this Batman movie — the cast and the subtext.

1. The Cast. Michael Keaton was my fave Batman until my Christian Bale tried the batsuit on. I just love his jaw and lips. Haha. I also fell in love with Michelle Pfeiffer as the the Catwoman. Feisty much. And Danny De Vito is just fantastic as the Penguin. Very, very convincing.

2. The Subtext. Batman Returns is “semiologically” rich and politically loaded. It’s full of signs and representations. The bat. The cat. The Penguin. The penguins. The circus. The sewer. Each character seems to represent a social group struggling to work their way to the top of the food chain. Uh, power. Meow. 4.5

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Wanted (2008)
Genre: Action, Thriller; Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Stars: James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman

I love love love this film. In fact, of all the movies I’ve seen this year, this is my favourite. Although many would have expected a complex plot, Wanted has a simple, solid, brave storyline which is executed beautifully. Technically, prepare for a visual orgasm. Might be a bit overdone, the editing and camerawork are stunning.

It kinda felt like I was watching a David Fincher masterpiece. (I actually thought he directed it.) I felt like watching Fight Club with more suspense, more violence but less ideologies. I was oh-so-prepared to be mesmerised by James McAvoy but it was Angelina who got me. I’ve always considered her hot but in this film, she’s HOTTT. Damn. I guess it’s time to update my fave films list. 5.0

…

Get Smart (2008)
Genre: Comedy; Director: Peter Segal
Stars: Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway

I must admit that I only watched this film because of Steve Carell (and Anne Hathaway but primarily Steve). I like his brand of comedy and I love many of his films — The 40-Year Old Virgin, Little Miss Sunshine, Dan in Real Life. But Get Smart is not smart at all. It’s disappointing. It’s funny, alright. But I felt like I missed 30 minutes of the movie. Everything happened in a breeze. For example, Smart and Agent 99 falling in love made me go “What?! Where did that come from?!” It is established poorly and the entire process of falling isn’t really shown. The flick is wildly entertaining but that’s just it. It’s empty. 2.0

…

Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Genre: Comedy; Directors: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
Stars: Jack Back, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, Ian McShane

Of all the 3D films I’ve seen, this flick left a mark on me — as the most predictable. Really. I kinda knew what would happen in its every twist and turn. Nevertheless, it is still very solid and effective. Yeah, Kung Fu Panda is solid albeit formulaic. It’s nowhere near Shrek, Ratatouille or Finding Nemo but everyone will still surely give this panda a high-five. It cracked me up big time. And to be honest, that’s good enough for me. 3.5

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Sex and the City: The Movie (2008)
Genre: Comedy; Director: Michael Patrick King
Stars: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon

I know it’s one heck of a lengthy movie but it seemed short to me. I wanted more, more, more. And mind you, I was never a fan of the TV series. But I really really enjoyed it. I actually kinda regret that I only saw one season and still not religiously. I know the film is not as solid and cohesive as any decent film should be (more like a 3-hour TV season finale, if you ask me) but I enjoyed it. Immensely. 3.5

*images courtesy of shaggy4do.wordpress.com, apple.com, blog.indiewire.com, buzzsugar.com

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“Ang hirap kasi sa inyong mga Amerikano, ang hilig n’yong makialam. Ang hilig n’yong makisawsaw. Sa Iraq, sa Vietnam, sa Pilipinas…. Eh kung hindi ba naman kayo pumunta dito nung Panahon ng mga Kastila, eh malamang hindi kami nadamay sa World War II.”
— Toni Gonzaga’s character, “You Are the One”

Something I did not expect from a Toni Gonzaga - Sam Milby romantic comedy. Haha. But it was the highlight of the movie for me.

Speaking of Sam Milby, I don’t usually like him. But have you seen his latest Bench Blackout billboards? The hot ones, yes?

Damn you, Sam. Damn you, really. Haha. You almost got me there. Hehe.

…

And oh, by the way, despite being very sick lately, I’m actually in a very festive mood. Germany is through to the semi-finals of Euro 2008 after beating Portugal in the quarterfinal match. Honestly, I had been expecting a Germany-Netherlands showdown in the final until the Dutch were murdered by the Russians yesterday.

Anyway, I really hope the Germans would meet the Spaniards instead of the Italians. After all, Spain is my second favourite national team. (And David Villa, my second fave player. Miroslav Klose, you know you’re my #1 guy.)

Robin, you had better prepare my P1000 because Germany is sooo gonna win this whole Euro thing. I can smell it. Thanks for betting, haha. And Jon, don’t worry, as promised, if my team wins, I’ll treat you and some of our former officemates to a little booze party. Promise.

Oh Lord, I don’t wanna cry again…. Maybe not. Hey, it’s not THE World Cup.

Weise zu gehen Deutschland!!!
image courtesy of istockphoto.com and coleenpbb of pinoyexchange.com
and thanks to babel fish haha

There have been notable transformations for a single role in the past decades. Who would forget Robert DeNiro’s stint when he inflated his body for his role in Raging Bull? Vincent D’Onofrio even set a Guiness World Record for the most weight gained for a single film role for his mind-blowing presence in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket.

Contemporary actors, however, will not be left behind. In fact, in recent years, we have seen celebrities shed off their glamorous skin and almost magically transform to give life to some of cinema’s most unforgettable characters. Here is a list of the top 9 most amazing celebrity transformations that rocked Hollywood in the past 10 years.

9. Renee Zellweger, Cold Mountain (2003)

Although starring opposite the ravishing Nicole Kidman will surely make anyone look “unpretty,” Renee Zellweger surely has the spotlight all on her in Cold Mountain. Fortunately for Renee, she has a more interesting role to play — a boyish country girl who never runs out of spirit and humor. After losing an Oscar (also to Nicole) the year before, she came back with a vengeance, winning her much-deserved, first Oscar for this role. She mastered every twist and turn of a farmer’s daughter, who is full of spunk and energy that you wouldn’t think she was that jazz-singing murderess in the hit musical Chicago. Transformation is not really a stranger to Renee as we have seen her gain lots of baby fats like a sack of french fries for her portrayal of Bridget Jones.

8. Edward Norton, American History X (1998)

As if his good looks aren’t impressive enough, Edward Norton takes everyone’s breath away with his intense acting skills. He surely showcased this in American History X, where he played a white supremacist. One of the scariest transformations to date, Edward gained more than 30 pounds before filming. As he ate a lot, he made sure the gym was his second home for his desired toned look. Like many other transformations, this schoolboy-looking wonder was able to transcend the physical by owning the character. This performance earned him his second Oscar nomination.

7. Nicole Kidman, The Hours (2002)

Many people think that it was all in the nose. The truth is, Nicole Kidman’s highly depressing performance is more than that. The nose just added to the character that Nicole had already created for The Hours. Yes, Nicole had to say goodbye to her doctor-that’s-what-I-want nose and wore a scarily large nose plus additional makeup to look like the famed writer Virginia Woolf. But even without it, she would still have won that Oscar. Her performance is beyond the physical. She perfected the accent, gestures and the overall character of an incestuous, insane genius. The result is a performance as beautiful as she is.

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So we’ve come to the end of the road. After almost a year of counting down my 50 all-time favourite films, we have now reached the end. If you missed the first 49, here’s help: Top 50-41, 40-31, 30-21, 20-11, 10-4, 3-2.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, I give you my #1 favourite film of all time.

1. The Hours (2002)

Genre: Drama
Director: Stephen Daldry
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, Ed Harris
Plot: The time to hide is over. The time to regret is gone. The time to live is now.
Top Critics’ Average Mark: 80%

“A woman’s whole life in a single day. Just one day. And in that day her whole life.”

If you haven’t seen this film yet, here’s the trailer. Prepare to be blown away.

And here’s a clip from this stunning piece of work.

That’s arguably the most troubling among the many unforgettably affecting scenes in the movie. It’s actually very hard to choose one outstanding scene from the film because almost every scene is important and effective.

Anyway, I’ve seen this film exactly 20 times. I memorized probably 80% of its dialogue. Haha.

Let me enumerate the things I adore about this superb film and the reasons it’s on the top of my list:

• Its quietness. It’s a very, very quiet movie but it moved me. Thanks to the awesome screenplay.
• Its musical score. Although often dubbed ‘the weakest aspect’ of this film, I was totally haunted by the score.
• It’s not preachy. It tackles life, death and everything in between with so much depth but without any attempt to force the audience to believe it. It gives enough space for the audience to think for themselves. Very insightful.
• It’s liberating. Although many who have seen this think that this is one heck of a depressing film, I believe otherwise. Yes, it creates a sad atmosphere but it actually urges us to breakaway from sadness and just live life the way we want to.
• Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep… How can you not love this movie?
• Ed Harris delivers a poignant performance here, earning him an Oscar nomination although he was in only two scenes.
• It’s the film that gave Nicole Kidman her first Oscar. Just how amazing Nicole is in this movie? See for yourself.

For the longest time, “The Hours” was considered “unfilmable.” Now it’s a real masterpiece.

Here’s the COMPLETE LIST of my top 50 all-time favourite films. (more…)

I know this post is long overdue. It’s been seven months since I posted the last installment and I think it’s just time to reveal my top 3 favourite films of all time. You may view the rest of the list here: 50-41, 40-31, 30-21, 20-11 and 10-3.

Again, usual disclaimer: this is not a list of the BEST movies for me. This is a favourites list — films that I can watch over and over again, regardless of how many awards they swept.

…

3. Love Actually (2003)

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Director: Richard Curtis
Starring: Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson
Plot: Follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely and interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas.
Top Critics’ Average Mark: 60%

“Christmas is a time for people with someone they love in their lives.”

This is the ULTIMATE romantic comedy. If you want to feel good and believe that one day, you’ll find the right person for you, watch this movie. Wahaha. This is extremely enjoyable and, er, romantic. In fact, since its release, watching this film on Christmas Eve has become a tradition in my room. Haha.

What I love about it is that it is entertaining and touching. Despite the huge cast and the Altmanesque approach, each storyline actually managed to create a connection to the audience (at least, to me). I especially liked the line of action of Jamie (Colin Firth) and Aurelia (the Portuguese girl).

I also fell in love with the scene above. It’s just moving but poignant. Emma Thompson is also effective here. I felt her pain. Laura Linney’s struggle, too. And oh, that worse-than-the-agony-of-being-in-love kid is love.

Can’t wait for Christmas Eve. Hehe.

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Across the Universe (2007)
Genre: Musical; Director: Julie Taymor
Stars: Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood

It’s so hard to review this film. Whenever I’m asked what I think about this movie, I can’t give a straight answer. It’s not bad but it’s not great, either. What I’m sure of is that I enjoyed it immensely. 99.9% of that — music. If you love the Beatles‘ songs, you’ll enjoy it. But that’s beside the point. We all know that films are not just about music.

The problem with Across the Universe is that it doesn’t have much of a story. Or, there are too many subplots. Unlike many musicals today, this Taymor film is cluttered and in total disarray. The filmmakers obviously wanted to squeeze all the Beatles songs they could into the film that everything is just all over the place. Loopholes everywhere.

Yes, there is no other treatment that best suits this concept other that surrealism but it’s a bit over the top, too. Nevertheless, it’s a cinematic feast (bordering on visual masturbation). There are a lot of memorable scenes. Excellent cinematography, production design and editing. It’s not the best musical in the world but it is tremendously entertaining. 3.5

…

Atonement (2007)
Genre: Drama; Director: Joe Wright
Stars: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan

After watching Atonement, I was reminded of Brokeback Mountain. Not that there are gay cowboys in this film but I muttered “All that hype for this?” Don’t get me wrong. The film isn’t bad. It’s excellent. It’s just that I don’t think it deserves all the buzz that has been around it. I don’t know, maybe I just expected too much. I had been waiting for this film for, like, forever. I remember feeling the same way about Brokeback two years ago. I set the bar too high. After watching it, I immediately declared my desire for Crash to snatch the Oscar.

Going back to Atonement, it is great. Screenplay, production design, cinematography and musical score — stunning. It kinda tends to be a little dragging at times but it’s tolerable. Nice, nice, nice. But, ugh, I’m still disappointed. Hehe. Too much expectations, darn it. 4.5

…

A Mighty Heart (2007)
Genre: Drama; Directors: Michael Winterbottom
Stars: Angelina Jolie, Dan Futterman

I admit, unlike Atonement, I wasn’t really expecting much from this film. I just wanted to see if Angelina Jolie deserved the Oscar snub. And, er, after seeing it, yeah, Jolie not being nominated is a travesty. But heck, the film is bigger than Angelina. I LOVE IT. Simple. Piercing. Poignant. It tells the story of a French wife excruciatingly waiting for the release of her husband Daniel Pearl, a Jewish American journalist captured by terrorists in Pakistan. What’s amazing about it is that I knew exactly how it would end because heck, everyone knows about what happened to Daniel Pearl, but I was still moved. The simplicity of the film is its key asset. It just revolves around a desperate woman’s staggering dedication and struggle to “wait” for a potentially devastating “uncertain.” Compelling. Riveting. Breathless. 4.0

The Kite Runner (2007)
Genre: Drama; Director: Marc Forster
Stars: Khalid Abdalla, Zekeria Ebrehimi, Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada

Watching this movie is very much like flying a kite. When the kite takes off, it gets so high and exciting. The film can be divided into three parts; the first of which is brilliant. It revolves around the friendship of two Afghan boys. I’ve never been touched by a movie in a long time. It’s truly heartwarming and piercing at the same time. However, somewhere along the way, the string of the kite snaps and everything comes crashing down. The second and third parts of the film are utterly disappointing. I really wish they did not jump onto another period. The story of the two boys can stand alone.

Technically, it’s fantastic, too. Quite believable production design. Impressive cinematography. I didn’t really notice anything about the score or sound (which is a good thing, I guess). It’s a good film.

3.5

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3:10 to Yuma (2007)
Genre: Western; Director: James Mangold
Stars: Russell Crowe, Christian Bale

I’m not really a fan of the Western genre but I really, really enjoyed watching this film. I admit, I only decided to see it because of my Christian Bale but I didn’t expect much from the movie itself. Surprisingly, it was one hell of a ride. I was literally gripping on the edge of my seat. Never a dull moment. I felt like I was traveling with the characters and that anytime, some gay cowboy (redundant, I know) would shoot me. It is really effective. Not to mention the superb performances by Bale and Crowe. The ending isn’t as moving as the filmmakers might have intended it to be. In fact, it was kinda lame. Ehehe. Anyway, awesome, awesome sound design, editing, production design and cinematography. Really enjoyable.

…

The Eye (2008)
Genre: Horror; Directors: David Moreau, Xavier Palud
Stars: Jessica Alba

I like watching horror films at the cinemas because I love screaming inside the theatre. But this film— It’s terrible. All I could let out were my expressions of disappointment. Not even a single “waaah.” This movie is not creepy or scary. It relies heavily on the element of surprise and not fear. It relies heavily on sound to freak out its audience and not the story. I didn’t enjoy it. Everything is forgettable. I can’t pick a single scene that gave me goosebumps. It’s like a one-night stand. Everything feels good at the moment. But once you step out of the theatre, there’s nothing you would remember. Unlike “The Ring,” “The Others,” or other contemporary horror films, it won’t haunt you once the film is over. There’s nothing to remember. And mind you, I haven’t even seen the original Hong Kong movie. Awful horror flick. Waste of time. Waste of money.

1.0

*gif icons courtesy of myemo.com

Top 50-41, 40-31, 30-21, 20-11. Whoah. And now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my top 10 all-time favourite films….

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10. Finding Nemo (2003)

Genre: Comedy
Director: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
Starring: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould
Plot: 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. That’s a lot of space to find one fish.
Top Critics’ Average Mark: 100% — WOW!!!

“I shall call him Squishy. And he shall be mine. And he shall be my Squishy.”

The only animated movie in my list, Finding Nemo is one movie that I really, really enjoyed. I was alone when I watched it in a theatre. (I know, what a loser.) But I still couldn’t help laughing. After the film, I stayed inside and watched it again. Hahaha. My favourite character is Dory and Crush, the turtle. Had I extended this list to Top 100, you’d find a number of animated films including Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, and Monsters, Inc.
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9. (tied) Chicago (2002)

Genre: Musical
Director: Rob Marshall
Starring: Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere
Plot: Murderesses Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart find themselves on death row together and fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows in 1920s Chicago.
Top Critics’ Average Mark: 92%

“With the right song and dance, you can get away with murder.”

From its well choreographed dance sequences, entertaining songs, impressive acting performances, excellent direction, and all that jazz, Chicago deserves a slot in my Top 10. However, until now, I still don’t think that it deserves the Oscar Best Picture award. Although Renee Zellweger did a fantastic job giving life to Roxie Hart, Catherine Zeta Jones steals the movie with her Velma Kelly character.

…

9. (tied) Moulin Rouge (2001)

Genre: Musical
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor
Plot: A poet falls for a beautiful courtesan whom a jealous duke covets in this stylish musical, with music drawn from familiar 20th century sources.
Top Critics’ Average Mark: 65% Aaaw

“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.”

This is the fourth in my list and the first of three Nicole Kidman-starrers in my Top 10. Moulin Rouge is filled with so much elements that only this movie can pull off. As what Bebs might call it, this is a “pastiche.” But what I like most, aside from MY Nicole Kidman, is how they used familiar songs like Roxanne, Like a Virgin, and Smells Like Teen Spirit. I cried twice — the part when they are singing Come What May, and the part when Satine dies. The production design is fantabulous. And every scene is spectacular, spectacular! This should have won the Oscar Best Picture that year, and not A Beautiful Mind. Nicole should have received the Best Actress nod and not Halle Berry. (Nicole Kidman is love, love, love. I loooooooove her.)

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