Paris, Texas by Wim Wenders

Category: English

I have never seen a Wim Wenders movie before so watching this was undeniably a treat. Paris, Texas is a film based entirely on a man, portrayed brilliantly by Harry Dean Stanton (HDS), who has had a tragic incident 4 years back which led him to leave his wife and child.

When he's found 4 years later by his brother he meets his son and sets out to find his wife after his momentarily meet with his brother and his wife. On the surface the film is about a man who is torn on the inside and is trying to seek retribution for himself from the people he once held dearly in his life. Lost in the Mojave desert and exploring the Texan landscape, Wenders does a terrific job of mirroring the lifestyle in the year 1984, a year of transition for most people in the US of A.

The search eventually leads him to his wife and even though the end doesn't really matter the journey is as harsh and merciless as the desert in the backdrop, even in Los Angeles the movie finds its way into the dull lifestyle of the brothers family. When it reaches the wife in Houston it takes on a lovely saturation of green and red for a brief moment before re-uniting with the other colors.

Recommendation level: 4/5 - The pace is a little slow but the story of a man torn within because of certain beliefs can possibly hold onto you.

Hostel by Eli Roth

Category: English

A slasher ultra violent movie at the heart with no real story to back it up. Obviously the Elite Hunting agency is created purely to justify the slaughtering that takes place in this movie.

The movie follows 2 American friends who are joined by a Finnish bloke, on their journey they are posed with the question of more hedonism. That leads them to Bratislava and from there begins the violence. Eventually there's some retribution for the lead characters but that all ends with the beginning of the second movie.

There's not much else I can write about barring the setting which is quite eerie at times and although it recaptures some of the Soviet hangover still sported by the Iron-Curtain countries the camera in the movie points only at the 3rd world section or the murderous intent of shady Eastern European looking men.

Recommendation level: 2/5. Catch this if you want to see Eli Roth at the helm of a movie or if you want to see Takashi Miike's blink and a miss cameo.

Infection by Masayuki Ochiai

Category: Non-English

Definitely not a movie for the faint hearted, I had watched Infection many years back and decided to re-visit it again. Back then the movie had a lasting impression thanks to the J-Horror genre it belongs to, on a recent viewing however I wasn't as impressed as I was back then.

The movie follows a hospital where a mysterious patient arrives suffering from a disease with no real treatment. Eventually he dies and what follows next is a mind game across the soon to be run-down hospital. Whether it is real or fake is put to the test as our minds come across various psychological scenarios in the movie. But more than that there's an element of the supernatural which is also present that gives us a tough dose about our own reality.

Recommendation level: 3/5 - Pretty interesting as a one time watch only though!

500 Days of Summer by Marc Webb

Category: English

I am a little befuddled here as to what to say, this film has a lot of potential. It is definitely an interesting film to watch but there's something amiss...

500 days of summer follows the life of Joseph-Gordon Levitt's character who falls in love with Zooey Deschanel's character. Obviously one of them has committment problems and the other doesn't. While on the surface it's a typical "rom-com" as they call it, the only real saving grace has to be the editing and the jumping back and forth in time. The 500 days that Levitt's character knows Deschanel's character are more or less covered in a what appears to be non-linear format. Yet we are very clear about where their love started for each other and while you recollect the movie in your mind you recollect it as a liner narrative.

The acting is plastic at best, neither of them can act aside from looking pretty. Deschanel's character in particular is starved of any emotions to the point that one believes she is deliberately causing all that harm to the one she says she loves. Levitt - well he looks pretty like a school boy but what good is that?

Recommendation level: 2/5 I didn't think I'd be let down by the movie but I was and so there's nothing really to harp about it - barring a little slick editing. Also mister writer when Art is used as a device of revenge it ceases to be art anymore (ref: Any resemblance to people living or dead is purely accidental ... Especially you, Jenny Beckman ... Bitch - at the start of the film).

Where the Wild things are by Spike Jonze

Category: English

Haha, if you were one of the people who liked this film, obviously it should be a no brainer that you're either 12 years old or you are still stuck mentally at being 12. This was probably one of the worst films I've seen till date. Ah yes, snuggly creatures that looked like over sized Sesame Street characters (that was an intentional comment) give me a break, these guys are probably someone whom even Jason from Friday the 13th wouldn't want to snuggle up with.

So the premise yeah - kid wants attention, said attention whore kid runs to a magical land (maybe he just had a shroom eh?) and encounters giant furballs who somehow teach him how much a family matters.

Spike Jonze - I hope you hate this film yourself, I hope the money was worth it.

The adaptation isn't even that great, even a hardcore fan of the book admitted that it goes off on a tangent. Even the kid is annoying.

Recommendation level: 1/5 - Haha I couldn't put it below The Hills have Eyes, now can I?

Sherlock Holmes by Guy Ritchie

Category: English

What can I say? There's crappy movies and then there's a movie like Sherlock Holmes which is even worse. The only time I have ever wanted to doze off in a cinema hall - thanks to the Homo-erotic Adventures of Holmes and Watson.

Downey Jr. & Jude Law are pretty pathetic in this film with almost no real identities or character development. I hope a lot of people were disappointed, but sorry looking pretty doesn't make you a good actor. Jude Law's mustache is about as annoying and discomforting as his plastic acting skills and Downey Jr. is pretty much Tony Stark but in the past. I have to say Downey Jr. stopped his acting a few movies back and now just loves playing a drunk, talented person.

Recommendation level: 1/5 - I didn't even yawn at other crap movies like the Day of the Dead remake. Give it a miss, but you probably have already seen it. I can't believe Guy Ritchie made this movie, probably because Joel Silver whipped him around. I watched this in the cinema hall, so yeah I spent a good amount of money for trash.

The Girlfriend Experience by Steve Soderbergh

Category: English

Quite easily one of the best movies I've seen in a month or two. Surprisingly it's by Steve Soderbergh who returns back to his roots of understanding the human aspect of cinema. He experiments a fair bit with sound, thoughts and the leads but the best part about this movie has to be, Sasha Grey.

The movie follows a few days in the life of an escort portrayed by Sasha Grey a real life Adult Video star. She lives with her boyfriend and they share a committed-open relationship. There's a fair amount of political commentary pertaining to Obama and American politics and even though the movie is meant to have a feeling of being in touch with reality, it seems very staged - if this is on purpose or not by the director I am not sure.

The movie has its strong moments, as I mentioned some of the images we see (look at the poster, I love it) create a strong bond with you that lasts. It's an experimental film in some ways but is not difficult to watch. It explains relationships on a very different level, and while I can go on and on about this, I suggest you take a look.

Recommendation level: 3.5/5 - So close on the 4, but it didn't deliver in some places. Got it from a friend, just make sure you lay your hands on this, it's short.