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Film critic

Movie Review

Review: Deathly Hallows 2, and Happy Birthday Harry!

Posted on July 31, 2011

I have no idea how old you are in your fictional life, but I wish you blessings and warm tidings. You don’t look very happy in the picture above though…

I spent the day with you by the way (again! cue the eye-rolling of people who will not understand). Watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movie 2 today with family. Yours is the ONLY movie franchise we watch together, and that’s saying something, as we are a dysfunctional lot and do not really like spending that much time together as a unit. Makes me even sadder that with the ultimate end of the telling of your life story in movie magic, comes the end of one excuse for genuine family bonding as well. I divert, but I guess that is part of the point I am making.

I’ve seen the movie three times, and if time and money permit that I see it a few more times, I am certain it will not grow old. Not just yet. The film was properly dark and subtle in places, properly dark and exciting where it matters. It will still beg patience of movie-goers who only rely on the films to follow your story, but that is a given, with two-inches thick of words to go through. I still lose it on that final scene of Severus Snape, and I do not stop crying until the credits roll, by which time even my Coke has gone salty with my tears. That last two images before the close–and I quote a fellow geek–were poignant.

This is turning out to be the saddest birthday greeting ever. Sorry! Happy birthday Harry Potter! And JK Rowling too!

Pride and Prejudice: The real dream British gentleman

Posted on June 20, 2011

Dream Asian man is Hanazawa Rui, but if I am to cross to the Caucasian side of the earth, hands down winner is always Mr Darcy. I have always heard his name crop up in movies and books, and never being as widely exposed to English literature as I would want, the only occasion for me to finally meet him is only when I dared buy the book.

Pride and Prejudice was the first classic I’ve read in years, and out of school at that, and I am eternally in love with it. And this movie version helped. Critics and fans are keen to point out that the Colin Firth version is still above it. But as I have never thought Firth as darkly sexy, and as I have believed every second of subtle, restrained and at times ironic English romance in the film as portrayed by Keira Knightley and Matthey MacFadyen, I hone no intentions of watching the BBC mini-series.

I am happy with the Lizzie and Darcy images that live inside my head. It just pains me to realize every time I re-watch and re-read though, that all ideal men seem to exist only in fiction. But thanks to Jane Austen, for the sliver of hope, and the experience of reading true love win over imperfections.

Movie Review

Review: Alex Pettyfer Movie Day

Posted on June 11, 2011

These are two movies I missed while Quanti forced me into a social exile. I bought and read the books before watching the movies, which is often a bad idea. But the gamble went well this time.

Overall, Beastly movie >>> the book, which is a rare feat, thanks to the Alex/Vanessa Hudgens chemistry (and here I was thinking she will never look good with anyone other than Zac Efron. Fairy tale remakes seem to be the in thing now, right next to comic book movies, and this one is refreshingly cute. Beware the slight slips of mush, and the scary Olsen witch, but the witty dialogue, the chemistry and Neil Patrick Harris made it a great one hour+ spent. For one, Pettyfer knew how to still melt you even with all the disfiguration going on.

On the other hand, I Am Number Four book >> movie, but it still wasn’t a waste of my time. Would still click the like button for it. The eye candy helped, and I have to admit I do like my share of sci-fci alien action (geek confession) but I was not entirely convinced with the Alex/Quinn Fabray (er, Diana Agron?) love. Which is ironic since apparently they were dating in real life.

Special thanks to ze dongsaeng for patiently and lovingly downloading both flicks. You know I would’ve paid for the ticket had we watched it in the theaters.

(I think Imma watch Beastly again *press replay after this episode of Oh! My Lady*)

Movie Review

Review: X-Men First Class

Posted on June 11, 2011

There are multitude of reasons why I love James McAvoy (despite his height, and height is always an issue for me), and they were all brilliantly depicted here. He was sleek, smart, eloquent and vibrantly charismatic, and at the same time strong and vigorous in ways Professor X as we X-Men geeks know him is not. The Charles-Raven platonic love was an interesting thing to watch, and despite my biases, after my second watch I have to admit that it was mostly Charles’ arrogance and (dare I say it) insensitivity that spun the creation of Mystique. Although Raven’s inherent insecurities account for a lot, of course. Charles was trying to save the world, and she was being a classic brat. Thus I still blame her.

And then there was Erik. Michael Fassbender‘s take on the metal-force mutant was intense and exhilarating, and one important color to watch is his multi-layered chemistry with Charles. There is a distinct pull on me of depictions of boy friendships, mostly because they rarely run deep and rarely leave a sensible mark. But this comic book bromance does, and sets the theme for its constant reappearance in the franchise.

There is a lot more to rave and rant about with X-Men: First Class–the Brit-pop edge/soundtrack, the psychedelic cool effects, the awesome evil of the antagonists, the themes of war that knock too close to the world today–,but I am a biased judge, and thus not a reliable movie critic. So all I can say is: do watch it. It was the best summer movie of my hard working summer.