Genre: Drama Directed by: Danny Boyle Stars: James Franco 127 Hours is about mountain climber Aron Ralston (James Franco) who goes on a journey to a remote Utah canyon but finds himself trapped in a lonely crevasse after a boulder falls and pins his arm. What happens next is 127 hours of trying to survive and get out of the earthy prison. So wait, wait, wait a minute, does that mean you’re gonna have to watch a man struggle to set himself free through the duration of the movie? Well, yes. But thanks to Danny Boyle’s filmmaking precision and James…
Tagged movie reviews
Movie Review: Rabbit Hole (2010)
Genre: Drama Stars: Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest Directed by: John Cameron Mitchell A couple struggle to go on with their lives eight months after their young son was killed in a tragic road accident. Cliche? Maybe. But that’s what is beautiful about Rabbit Hole. It tells the tired story of loss and grief in the most unusual yet true-to-life manner — silent, devoid of histrionics, and occasionally humorous. It’s a simple story made complex by the characters’ emotions. Rabbit Hole revolves around Becca and Howie Corbett, played by Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart, and their difficult, almost impossible…
Movie Review: Miss You Like Crazy (2010)
Genre: Romance, Drama Director: Cathy Garcia-Molina Stars: John Lloyd Cruz, Bea Alonzo When I first heard that John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo would be doing a movie together after three years, my first reaction was “How in the world are they gonna top One More Chance?!” Not that One More Chance is a perfect film. But it was perfect for John Lloyd and Bea. It was one of the best mainstream Pinoy romantic drama movies I’d seen in recent times — well-acted, well-directed, well-shot, mature and surprisingly solid. That said, Miss You Like Crazy is bound to be compared…
Movie Review: ‘The Hangover’ and the Headache That Didn’t Come With It
Last Thursday, Globe and Warner Bros Pictures invited me to the special screening of “The Hangover” at Greenbelt 3 in Makati City. The people were friendly. The cocktails were fantastic. The movie was entertaining. Entertaining. Hmmm. A good friend asked me if “entertaining” was enough for me to actually like a film. I answered him with a confident “of course.” “Sometimes,” I told him, “I just want to see a movie to be entertained. I have a habit of checking my Film graduate self at the theater door before watching. I don’t expect to be bothered or hope that the…
Movie Review: Milk (2008)
Genre: Drama; Director: Gus Van Sant Stars: Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna, James Franco Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the United States. Well, the film is about that. Oh yeah, it’s so timely. With Obama now the President (not that Obama is gay) and the Proposition 8 issue and all. And since it’s a biopic, you know what to watch out for — acting performances. And man did Sean Penn deliver a divine one. It’s probably his best ever. His every twist and turn is so swishy convincing, even…
Movie Review: The Reader (2008)
Genre: Drama; Director: Stephen Daldry Stars: Kate Winslet, David Kross, Ralph Fiennes “What would you have done?” “Is that kinder?” These questions may not have an impact on you now but watch The Reader and you’ll see. And the funny thing is, the movie does not answer these questions. It just asks. And it’s up to you to find answers for yourself. Only two emotions get the better of me: shame and guilt. Director Stephen Daldry and screenwriter David Hare (people behind The Hours) explored these emotions gracefully in The Reader. You can just imagine how much this film affected…
Movie Review: Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Genre: Comedy; Director: Danny Boyle Stars: Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, Freida Pinto After watching the film, I felt disappointed. I wasn’t expecting myself to like it. But I DID. Tremendously. Haha. And this might be the first time that I’m rooting for an Oscar frontrunner. (Two years ago, I liked Little Miss Sunshine better than The Departed; Crash than Brokeback Mountain; Munich than Brokeback Mountain; The Hours than Chicago.) But then again I haven’t seen The Reader yet. But so far, Slumdog gets all my loving. People say that there’s nothing new to the story. It’s the same old third-world…
Movie Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Genre: Drama, Fantasy; Director: David Fincher Stars: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is stuffed with dualities — young and old, birth and death. Unfortunately for Benjamin, the two words that came to my mind after seeing it were long and cold. First of all, I have to say I am a bit disappointed because I love almost everything and everyone in this film. David Fincher is one of my most-loved directors. Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton are some of my fave actors. But amidst the amazing visual display and the technical…