Year End Review: Part 1

We've reached the end of the year, once again, and it's time to look back at what had happened this past 12 months. This first part will look at the honorable mention in the world of (my) music. While the list is dominated by some new names, the old time favorites like Sigur Ros and Death Cab for Cutie has also released some of the finest records of the year. So, here it goes:

Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs

Key tracks: Grapevine Fires, Bixby Canyon Bridge, Cath

Sigur Ros -Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust


Key Tracks: Gobbledigook, Inní mér syngur vitleysingur

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes


Key Tracks: White Winter Hymnal, Ragged Wood, Sun it Rises

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

Key Tracks: For Emma, Skinny Love, Re: Stacks

She & Him - Volume 1

Key Tracks: Why do you let me stay here, Black hole

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Key Tracks: Oxford Comma, A-Punk

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular


Key Tracks: Electric feel, Time to pretend


I'm not much of a music reviewer, so just listen to the key tracks given above to see my point. Please be patient cause I'm still compiling my favorite films of 2008, which will probably be done as soon as I watch some of the remaining films released late this year.

Bonding with Bond

I have to say sorry in advance because I borrowed the title of this post from a segment on rottentomatoes.com. I usually come up with some worthy title, not good but adequate, but I guess the excessive heat in Jakarta kinda messed up my creativity.



James Bond is a character that people identified as the perfect secret agent. He’s handsome, slick, suave, and gets a lot of action. However, for some reason I never liked that character. Pierce Brosnan is the James Bond I grew up watching. His Bond was, in my opinion, too handsome and too clean to be viewed as the tough secret agent. Suffice to say, I never liked the character when he’s playing it, despite all the fuzz that said he’s the best Bond since Connery. GoldenEye was good, but god knows how much I hate World is not Enough, Tomorrow Never Dies, and especially, Die Another Day. All of them were ridiculously campy, over the top and had ludicrous plots. Furthermore, during my early teens there were a lot of Roger Moore’s Bond reruns on my local TV. Roger Moore’s Bond was even worse than Brosnan’s. I don’t know if that’s because of his acting, or just because he was just doing the film in the wrong decade. Sean Connery was probably the best of the lot.

And then came Casino Royale. This is the movie that caught me off guard. I didn’t expect the so-called reboot was going to be that good. Daniel Craig is, hands-down, the kind of Bond that really reflect a tough secret agent. He ain’t pretty, but he knows what he’s doing and he gets the job done with only few things that he’s got (no invisible car, or the ridiculous jetpack). This is the James Bond that Ian Fleming wrote in his stories. Casino Royale serves as a good background story of the first years of Bond’s career as a 00 agent. I liked how they changed the far-fetched toys with gritty realism.

Quantum of Solace is a direct sequel of Casino Royale. It picks up right where Royale ends. While Casino Royale gave a lot of insight of Bond’s character, Quantum of Solace is more of a straight forward action movie. The first action scene with the car in Italy is great. Marc Forster handled this scene surprisingly well. However the rest of the action scenes were caught up in what I called “Bourne style”. Forster uses too much shaky cam and edited it with quick cuts that aren’t friendly for the eyes. The plot continued with Bond following the lead that Vesper left in the last movie. His investigations led to an organization called Quantum. This is an organization that controls many countries with its vast resources. In this movie, one of Quantum’s members named Dominic Greene planned to support the new coup d’etat of Bolivian government to seize control of the country’s water supply. Seem overly simple for a Bond movie? Probably yes. But this makes sense because Quantum is seeking to control territory over countries all over the world, so what’s better than to control one of the most important assets of the country? This way the government will have to bow down to the organization. Great way to bring the world down on your knees, I say.



This movie would be a waste without Daniel Craig. Not only he managed to put on a great performance in this movie, he carries the movie. While the previous Bonds seemed to overcome their mission rather easily, Craig’s Bond was just barely in the game at all. He’s got to get his hands dirty, he bleeds, and he doesn’t mind getting scars here and there in the process. If in the first movie we saw him dealing with his ego, in this movie we see he developed his attitude to be a great 00 agent and moved on from the death of his lover. This is the biggest difference from Craig’s Bond from the other Bond. We can see that there’s a character development in each movie. The Bond at the early of Casino Royale is different from the Bond in at the end of Quantum of Solace, and I mean it in a good way. The last moment of the movie when he drops Vesper’s necklace is the defining moment, signing that he has moved on from the loss his lover.

Now, to the bad part. I’ve mentioned the action parts earlier. I was slightly disappointed by it, but the most disappointing thing is the duration of the movie which is too short. The previous movie has the duration of 2 hour something. That would give sufficient time to dig in deep into the characters. This movie just gave a little over 90 minutes of duration. Not enough time to give development of character. Furthermore most of the duration is filled with non-stop action. As a result the storyline felt a bit rushed to fit in the duration. The presence of Eva Green as Vesper Lynd is sorely missed here. I feel that Vesper’s role in Casino Royale is very important. Not only she’s beautiful, but she’s got the personality that can match that of Bond’s. The main Bond girl (which Bond didn’t sleep or even make out with) is uninteresting. I’m talking not about her looks, but more about her character. This Bond girl is too dark to be a Bond girl, or at least in my opinion. She lacks the personality and chemistry that Vesper Lynd gave in Casino Royale, and ultimately, she's too concern about her own personal vendetta and only provides few charms for the audience.

Given its weaknesses, Quantum of Solace is still a worthy addition to the Bond franchise. I managed to forgive the past Bonds for their portrayal because all of them would be squished by Daniel Craig’s Bond. I really hoped that they would keep this Bond for a long time, because this is the exact James Bond we need for the 21st century.

Astonished

I've been meaning to write this a couple of months ago but for no apparent reason, I happen to abandoned this post. Now, with a new spirit I am resurrecting my earlier post. The proposed post is as follows;


As a comic book geek, last week has left me with quite a mixed feeling. On one hand i am very pleased with the finale of Astonishing X-Men, i thought it was superbly done, as always, and on the other hand i was sad that the creative team of Joss Whedon and John Cassaday has left the title. The title started back in 2004, with a projected monthly issue for the next two years. And here we end up with an extra issue and an extra two years. The series undergone some major delays, which caused them to took the extra two years. However, in my opinion, the delays were always worth it.

Those of you who don't know who Joss Whedon is, he is a producer, writer, director, and show runner, most popularly known as the creator of tv shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin off, Angel. When Whedon was confirmed as the writer of the first issue, i got all excited. EVERYONE was excited by the prospect of having an experienced, and reliable writer. Although, the reliability is to the extent of some time constraints. Whedon's power has always been creating a major long plot that is built up through the subplots that exist within the stories he create. In addition, he is a well known wordsmith. I kinda made that one up, since i have no other words better to explain that kind of skill. I guess what i'm trying to say is that he always managed to construct a witty and smart dialogues. And most importantly, Whedon loves and understands the characters. That's the key ingredient.

His wordsmith and stories are backed up by the ever fantastic artist, John Cassaday. He is known for his work with Warren Ellis on the critically acclaimed Planetary. His ability to convert the story he's been given into a vast imagination of a stunningly beautiful sketch is the foundation of the Astonishing X-Men universe. I believe he is the one man that is perfect for the job.

Moving on to the stories, it consists of 4 story arc that interconnects with each other. What i love about this series, other than that ridiculously beautiful art by Cassaday, is that Whedon really know how to build up the momentum of each issues. Every issue is treated like an episode of a tv show. It usually started with some plot development, adding some action scenes in the middle, and ends up with a cracking cliffhanger. However, there are some problems toward the end of the series, which i think has taken too long to conclude. Still, i was patient enough to wait for each issue.

In terms of the characters, it's pleasing to see how deep Whedon has developed them. Cyclops, and Kitty Pride, in particular, are given so much things to do. While Kitty Pride has been a long-time fan favorite, Cyclops has suffered as one of the unlikable characters, despite his status as the team leader. But after this series, i couldn't see any reason why people should hate him anymore. He's tough, smart, and the team wouldn't function without him. Wolverine, who's often put as the main character in the X-books, is placed as the comic relief of this series. It's a joy reading his rants and his witty one liner.

Astonishing X-men is easily one of the best X-books ever. Along with Ed Brubaker/Sean Phillips' Criminal, this was probably the best book on the shelf. People who don't usually read this kind of comic should start with this title. This title is comic book at its best. I salute the men behind the title, they have done a truly astonishing job.

Palinesque

Notice that lately the news reports has been focusing on the upcoming US presidential election? You should also notice that the focus is shifting away from Barack Obama, or John McCain. Here I give you the woman who stole the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.



I was pretty surprised by McCain's decision to pick her. I thought he would've played it safe and gone with Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, or even Arnie. But instead he opted for a woman who is practically an outsider. Apparently she's the governor of Alaska. So I thought, okay, this woman probably has the niche, or the glorifying spirit of Hillary Clinton. And she could possibly get the attention of those who are disheartened by Clinton's defeat, and wanted to give another woman a shot.

Boy, oh boy, could I be any more wrong.


Oh don't get me wrong, I love her. I really do. All of the laugh that came out of my mouth in the past 2 weeks mostly came from her prolific speeches and her sarcastic-but-not-so-bright remarks. Moreover, she encouraged the creativity of Saturday Night Live comedians to make one hell of a spoof of her (most notably Tina Fey's skit). I'll stop right here and let her quotes do the job.


"They're our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska." --Sarah Palin, on her foreign policy insights into Russia, ABC News interview, Sept. 11, 2008

"Nucular." --Sarah Palin, mispronouncing the word "nuclear" twice, ABC News interview, Sept. 11, 2008

"Perhaps so." --Sarah Palin, when asked if we may need to go to war with Russia because of the Georgia crisis, ABC News interview, Sept. 11, 2008

"A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one though who would attribute it to being man-made." --Sarah Palin, dismissing global warming as influenced by human activity, Newsmax interview, Aug. 2008

"I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq." --Sarah Palin, interview with Alaska Business Monthly, March 2007

"I'll try to find you some and I'll bring them to you." --Sarah Palin, asked by Katie Couric to cite specific examples of how John McCain has pushed for more regulation in his 26 years in the Senate, CBS interview, Sept. 24, 2008

"I'm the mayor, I can do whatever I want until the courts tell me I can't.'" --Sarah Palin, as quoted by former City Council Member Nick Carney, after he raised objections about the $50,000 she spent renovating the mayor's office without approval of the city council




Still not enough? Oh don't worry, i'm saving the best for last:

"As for that VP talk all the time, I'll tell you, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day?" --Sarah Palin, interview with CNBC's "Kudlow & Co", July 2008

Out of the Past

The late 1940’s saw an era that redefines the world of cinema, especially in the US. It’s the golden years of film noir. Granted, that the first film noir wasn’t produced in the US, but when European directors like Fritz Lang, or Michael Curtiz came to the US with their visions and distinct style, it gave birth to numbers of film noirs in the US. Fritz Lang’s M, John Huston’s Maltese Falcon and Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity may be the ones that people always talk about when it comes to film noir, but for me, Out of the Past stands alone as the best of all time.



Robert Mitchum stars as the reluctant hero, Jeff Bailey. A man who are running away from his past and live a quiet small town while hoping to make a better future with his new girlfriend, Ann. His hopeful future is ruined when a man of his past came seeing him, asking him to see his old boss, Whit Sterling. Bailey had done business as private investigator for Sterling before. But when the job involves him with Sterling’s girlfriend, Kathie Moffat, it all went straight to hell. As Bailey told Ann about what happened then with him and Kathie, the truth of his past began to unfold. A couple of years ago Bailey fell in love with Kathie when he was working with Sterling, and they decided to run away together. But their happiness was only temporary when they were discovered by Bailey’s partner, and Kathie had to kill him. They never saw each other again after that.

The plot covers the basic storyline of film noir. It involves the protagonists who fell in love with the wrong woman, and tangled in the labyrinth of deceit and problems. While the plot is seemingly similar to other film noir, Out of the Past came out better because of superior cast, amazing direction, and the sense of moral ambiguity towards the end. Jacques Tourneur’s direction, combined with the superb cinematography by Nicholas Musuraca, created a beautiful pictures that uses extensive shadows and dark cinematography which never loses the grip of the story throughout the film. There was never a dull moment in this one, unlike other film noir (I found Maltese Falcon dull and meandering in some parts). The use of voice over narration also helps to develop the character, without losing its subtlety.

The stellar cast is led by the amazing Robert Mitchum. His deep voice, mannerism, and gleamy eyes were the highlight of the film. It makes you empathize, and feel sorry for him. To me, he is probably the best film noir actor ever, even better that Humphrey Bogart. Kirk Douglas played a great mobster/bad guy, Whit Sterling. But the real talent is on Jane Greer. Portraying the deceitful Kathie Moffat, Greer managed to put a superb performance with layers of personality for her character. I agreed with people who said that she is the ultimate femme fatale. A femme fatale is a woman you loved for all the wrong reasons. She may struck you as this beautiful, loving, and seductive at first, but she never showed her true color. That’s what Greer is portraying. You’ll love Kathie Moffat instantly when you seen her on the screen, just like Bailey did. But everything isn’t what it seems. Her motivation was never truly explained, she just acts on her best interest, and it’s hard to separate the lies from the fact. It’s hard to picture a modern day actress that can portray Moffat better than Jane Greer. Another thing that really grabs me is that all of the character was never presented in black and white. You can’t just point a finger to one man and say, “that’s the bad guy”. All of the characters are in the grey area, and they have their own sets of principles that differs them from each other. That’s why I liked film noir in the first place.

Lastly, there’s the ambiguous ending. It’s the moment when Ann ask Bailey’s deaf best friend. The answer, I’m not gonna spoil it for you, is the truest essence of a masterful story telling. What the answer means is the viewer’s choice to make. I felt this long pause after the end credit is rolled before I could come up with a possible answer and realize what a powerful scene that the ending was. After all, the movie is about a man who wants to escape his past, and a woman who wants to escape her future.

My spider sense is tingling

It's almost 2 am and my spider sense is off the hook. And it has something to do with comic book.

Okay, The Dark Knight turned out to be a HUGE success. It surpasses the expectations, even created a bigger fan base for the character. Now the studio executive geniuses (pardon my sarcasm) at Warner Bros. are attempting to use the same formula from The Dark Knight, and try to apply it to revive the Superman franchise. They said that the “dark, and brooding nature” of The Dark Knight are the key ingredients to successfully resurrect Superman franchise.


Now that’s what I called stupid.


The very nature of Batman IS dark and brooding. Superman? Not so much. The guy is the biggest Boy Scout on the planet. He endorsed justice, the American way. He is the very role model of the perfect human, though he isn’t one technically. Come on, we’ve already seen emo Spidey, and melodramatic Superman in the past 2 years, have people learned nothing from that experience? The problem with Superman is not on its presentation of the character, but on the inability to provide Superman with worthy villains. Lex Luthor is treated like a real estate mogul, rather than an evil genius that wanted the world. Luthor should be the evil version of Tony Stark with the wit and manipulative skill of Ben Linus of Lost, at the very least, and it would be good to throw in Brainiac or General Zod into the mix just so Superman can have real ass to kick.

Here’s a more preferable solution. First they need to reboot the Superman series. Forget the continuity of the whole series until Superman Returns, and start fresh. Try to explore more on Clark Kent’s motivation to become Superman, develop Lex Luthor into a worthy villain, add one extra supervillain, and do a recast the entire characters, although I wouldn’t mind to see Brandon Routh back as Superman. I think he’s the best thing on Superman Returns. The rest of the cast, however, needs to be recast, especially the disaster that is called Kate Bosworth. A capable director is also needed,someone who’s in the same league as Chris Nolan, or Jon Favreau.

Now if those solutions above are somehow read and understood by one of the studio executives, though it would be very much improbable, I may regain my faith in humanity. Or at least what’s left of it.

Politic Has Never Been This Great

I don't usually make a political comment, not that i don't have any opinion or anything, but I just don't think what i say will make any difference. And of course, politic isn't really my cup of tea. However, the recent US democratic national convention has made politic a bit more interesting subject. Obama's speech on the convention is pretty much encouraging, and sounded very convincing. I'm not gonna discuss his agenda, but a couple of things that he said actually hits me. If I were an American, I'd be very proud of him.This is what he said:

“It is that promise that has always set this country apart – that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.

“It is why I stand here tonight. Because for two hundred and thirty two years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women – students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors -- found the courage to keep it alive.

“We meet at one of those defining moments – a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more."

“America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.”

“This moment – this election – is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. Because next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look just like the last eight. On November 4th, we must stand up and say: “Eight is enough.”

Pretty neat, isn't it? Another thought that i had is that younger people will tend to put their vote on Democrats. The thing about Democrats is they usually oppose war, violence, promising peace, and support diplomacy rather than go strength to strength with their enemies. These are the kind of things that great presidents of the states like Roosevelt or Kennedy often stressed on their speech. I agree on most of that but sometimes I think Republicans are more willing to go the distance to deal with certain situations. Their actions, in my point of view, are more extreme in some ways, but all of it came from their love of their own country. They'd done stuff that Democrats don't have the guts to do. However, their actions are often unjustifiable, and deeply hurting a lot of people for their own good. I've been having this thought for a while now, that kinda left me pondering. And today, Obama kinda answer my doubt;

“We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don’t tell me that Democrats won’t defend this country. Don’t tell me that Democrats won’t keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans -- Democrats and Republicans – have built, and we are to restore that legacy.


“As Commander-in-Chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm’s way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.

“I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing so that America is once more the last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.”

My doubts and questions has been answered. Is he really gonna do what he said he's gonna do? Only time will tell. May them (Americans) chose what best for them, and they should also keep in mind that their choice will influence the shape of this world.

Now, the fun part. I just found out that the Democratic Convention is also supported by the performance of a couple of artist, and musician that i really, really like. They are Ben Gibbard, of Death Cab for Cutie, Zooey Deschanel, of She & Him, and Jenny Lewis, of Rilo Kiley. It's not all, Jonathan Rice, Nada Surf, and Cold War Kids also highlighted the convention. Holy shit, this is bigger than Big Day Out! I've been dreaming to watch them perform live, and now they're actually performing TOGETHER on the SAME STAGE? Be still my heart. All it takes is one hell of a presidential candidate with inspiring words. Who thought politics can be this fun?

Weekly Recap #2

Okay, i haven't done this in quite a while, but i think it's worth writing. It's the weekly recap thingy that i did back a couple of months ago. I just assumed that somebody really did read what i wrote in this blog. Anyhow, this is the latest scoop on my week:

Movies
I saw just one film on the cinema this week, which is Wanted. I have to say that it's pretty disappointing. They changed the story too much from the comic book. I'm not saying it's a bad adaptation, but it lacks the thrills and excitement of the comic book. I think the story is there, but the execution isn't right. The bullet bending, the train action scene, are wasted. It's full of slow motion, exaggerated action scenes that are out of place. I guess it's better if Bekmambetov uses the conventional hard boiled action like in the first Die Hard movie. That said, i still recommend you to watch this film, solely because of Angelina Jolie's perfect ass.

On the DVD, i'm still going with the Woody Allen marathon that i started a couple of weeks ago. The last of his film that i saw was Play it Again, Sam. I am really surprised with this movie. I thought his best work was in Annie Hall, or Manhattan, but Play it again, Sam actually has more laughs than the movie i mentioned before. I mean, that movie is basically Allen's homage to Casablanca and Humphrey Bogart, but he wrote it perfectly that it fits his comedic style and richly filled one liner that will make you laugh so hard, it hurts. Of course, you have to watch Casablanca first to get the majority of the jokes. Now, Woody Allen has emerged as one of my favorite director, despite some of his weak films during the 90's.

Music
I haven't heard anything new, just some old stuff from Wilco that was released last year, titled Sky Blue Sky. It's a pretty solid album. Highly recommended for those who like easy listening, yet deep and soulful music, with the touch of folksy tune. Meanwhile, i am still in awe after watching Sigur Ros performed live at the Festival Hall last week. It was just beautiful. There's just no right word to describe their music, let alone their live performance. It's safe to say that their live performance is one of the better of all the bands that i've seen performed live.

TV
One show that caught my eye this week is Pushing Daisies. I rarely see a love story on tv medium that i liked. But this one is an exception. This cute little show has its own unique presentation by blending comedy and drama. It mostly attracts me because of the quirky characters, great lines, and adorable chemistry of its cast. The other thing that i liked is Anna Friel. She really got Zooey Deschanel vibe in this show. I found her character to be bearing a resemblance with Audrey Tautou's Amelie. This is definitely a worth watching tv show. At least, this can keep me accompanied while i wait for the fifth season of Lost.

Highlight of the Week
The one thing that would be the highlight of this week is the trailer of Watchmen. Being skeptical at first, the footage and trailers has proven me wrong. The set, costume, even the environment that is captured in the film is like a panel of the comic book. I wonder if the final film will be as good as it looks in the trailer.

It's no secret many people do not believe that Watchmen is filmable, like i said in previous post, including me. This is probably the most complex graphic novel ever written. It deals with complex issues, layers and layers of story, loads of philosophy, and to think that all of it can be packed into two hour long feature is just seem very improbable. This is the book that changed the face of comic industry forever. This is where comic book was acknowledged not only as kid's read, but also as a work of classic literature.

Back to the trailer, i think it really capture the dark world of Watchmen. The characters look very much alive, as well as the set design and the overall feel of the world within the film. And the most interesting part is the soundtrack for the trailer. It's the other version of Smashing Pumpkins' The End is the Beginning is the End, which coincidentally was the soundtrack of the worst superhero movie of all time, Batman and Robin. It's very gloomy, and somewhat managed to set the tone for the trailer. So, here ya go, here's the link to that trailer; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3orQKBxiEg

I'm gonna leave you with a word of advice, READ.THE.GODDAMN.BOOK. It's worth it, believe me. I, myself, had just finished reading it for the sixth or seventh time. And i still got something new every time i read it.

Office Poem

I love the Office very much. I started out watching the US version, and i just recently watched the UK version. Both are brilliant, with their own unique style. And this is the one of the funniest moment of The Office UK, where David Brent, the socially inept office manager, read his own poem to his secretary, Dawn;

'EXCALIBUR' by David Brent I froze your tears and made a dagger, and stabbed it in my cock forever. It stays there like Excalibur, Are you my Arthur? Say you are. Take this cool dark steeled blade, Steal it, sheath it, in your lake. I’d drown with you to be together. Must you breathe? Cos I need Heaven I literally rolling on the floor laughing after he read his poem with such seriousness and intensity. Only one thing that comes to my mind after that, Ricky Gervais is a genius. Bloody genius.

The Dark Knight Returns

I must warn you before continue reading, you may find the following review to be exaggerated, or hyperbolic, but believe it or not, it's the only way possible to describe how great this movie really is. The film itself carries a heavy burden due to the magnificent viral marketing throughout the year, and the success of other superhero movies like Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Hellboy II. So, does it live up to the expectations? Hell yeah. I must warn you, though, this isn't your ordinary comic book movie. It sure doesn't feel like it. The Dark Knight is the anti-thesis of Iron Man, or Spiderman.

First, and foremost, The Dark Knight is a crime drama. The kind of crime drama that has the same tone as The Departed, or Heat. Secondly, it's not solely focusing on the hero, but rather to the whole cast. This is the main strength of the movie. The cast, that consists of Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman and Michael Caine, have done a superb job in their role. Bale is undeniably the best Batman of all. He manage to capture the billionaire playboy in Bruce Wayne and added some scary intimidation vibe for his alter ego, Batman. The always reliable Gary Oldman shows his versatility as he resumes his role as Lt. James Gordon. Gordon has been a big part in Batman's tale of saving his city, a fact that has been ignored on the early 4 Batman films. It's really enjoyable to see Gordon got the proper amount of screen time to make us care about his character. Aaron Eckhart is on top of his game with his scarily moving character, Harvey Dent/Two face. He owns the character. I think his brilliant performance is only overshadowed by the terrific Heath Ledger. And i am so relieved to get Maggie Gyllenhaal instead of Katie Holmes-Cruise (is that what they really call her these days?). Gyllenhaal is easily twice the actress Katie Holmes will ever be.

Of course, the most talked subject in the movie is Heath Ledger's Joker. You may see Jack Nicholson's Joker back in the first movie and thought that he was the perfect Joker. To me, Nicholson's Joker isn't the real Joker that has been written for so many years in the comic book. His Joker is more of a failed comedian rather than a mentally crippled mass murderer with no code or whatsoever. Ledger cleverly modeled his Joker as the combination of Alex from A Clockwork Orange, and John Doe from Se7en. That is the first time i'm seeing the character alive. He manipulates, plans, and never once hesitate to kill everyone in front of him. This is the definitive Joker, and Ledger delivered the character perfectly. His presence will be sorely missed. If Nicholson managed to get an Oscar nomination when he played Joker in the first film, Ledger should win it.

Christopher Nolan has never failed to deliver a great story to audience with with the perfect execution. He dare to question the morality of the actions that is taken by Batman, Dent, and Gordon, something that is often left out by other superhero movie. This question haunts the movie until the very end. An end that ultimately answer the question, as Batman did the most heroic act no other superhero has ever done. In terms of action scenes, it's a relieve that the action scenes uses as little CGI as possible. I'm getting tired of action films that relied heavily on CGI (I'm talking to you, Michael Bay!). As a result, the action scenes looks very realistic, believable and superbly crafted.

All that being said, The Dark Knight will not only be the best superhero movie ever, but also possibly one of the best film of the decade. Iron Man, and Spiderman 2 may be the definitive superhero film, but The Dark Knight is not just another superhero film, it's a superhero epic. It's the first Oscar worthy superhero film, it's the Godfather of superhero films, it's the Empire Strikes Back of all Batman films. And, in my own case, this is easily the best movie of 2008 so far.


*this is attempt number 42 in reviewing this film. I had a hard time putting the words altogether. But hey, like the Joker said, "Why so serious?" right?

Random mumbo-jumbo

Semester break is coming to an end and, once again, i found myself pondering on what i achieved during the so-called-relaxing-break. My pre-break plan was to finish Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay, fix my TV's antenna, fix ,or try to call someone to fix my leaking washing machine, and ultimately, finish this story pitch that i've had for years. I thought three weeks are enough to complete those tasks. Oh, how very naive of me.

Three weeks later, and I've done none of those tasks. I abandon Kavalier and Clay, only to pick up Jack Kerouac's On The Road (which i still read to this very second). My laptop failed me, which also means the story that i've written vanishes magically, and i've forgotten all about the household repairing that i was supposed to do. The inability to perform the simplest of task has been a problem of mine for quite some time. Although i always refused to admit it. I'd like to think the universe has a unique way to conspire against anything that i want to do. In other word, i blame the universe.

However, the three week hibernation has also filled me with some thoughts, and ideas. Well, just for fun, i'm gonna say it all out loud;

i have a twisted state of mind, which is mainly caused by the constant day dreaming, the over exposure of various comic books, films, and numerous tv series.
Arrested Development is so darn funny, it actually surpasses The Office at some point.
The world would be a better place if there's Amelie Poulain on the corner of every street.
I wanna grow old like Woody Allen
I think time travel is possible, whether it's via wormhole, cosmic strings, or a simple faster than light travel.
I think vampires are cool.
I believe we do not live alone in the universe.
but then again,
I am neither fair, nor balanced.
believe what you want to believe.

Enough mumbling for today. Please do not take everything that i said seriously. I'm gonna leave you the funniest quote i've heard for quite sometime, courtesy of Dr. Tobias Funke.

"You're forgetting, Lindsay, that as a psychiatrist, I was a professional twice over - an analyst and a therapist. The world's first 'Analrapist'"

It's Happening, Shyamalan.

Critics everywhere are bashing M.Night Shyamalan's new film, The Happening. Shyamalan, who started to gain popularity after his successful The Sixth Sense, and Unbreakable, are the target of these so-called critics. He has received some negative reviews ever since his film back in 2004, The Village. Personally, i think he is a talented director. I loved Signs, and i like The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and even The Village. People may bashed him for the latter, but i still like it. I like how he built the suspense and i don't have a problem with the ending. As for Lady in The Water, i think it was a decent story with poor execution. So, how about The Happening?

The Happening is a film about how north east America got hit by a mysterious environmental event that causes everyone who is infected to kill themselves. The story itself focuses on a Philadelphia high school teacher, Elliott Moore, his wife, Alma, and his friend's daughter, Jess who tried to run away from this event. The movie has similar vibe of Signs, only this one falls below the quality of its predecessor. The early first scenes were very effective to introduce the plot. It's disturbing, and scary at the same time. Then we were introduced to the main character, Elliot (played by Mark Wahlberg), and we were showed that he is having trouble with his marriage.

This is where it went wrong for Shyamalan. Rather than focus on the background of the internal problem of Elliott and his wife, he added many unnecessary subplots. John Leguizamo's subplot was completely wasted. He went off in the middle of the movie to find his wife, and ends up dead in the next minute. Such a waste of a particularly good actor. Mrs. Jones character that is introduced late in the film is creepy, but she's not really connected to the main story. Also, the marriage problem between Elliott and Alma is not explored enough to develop their characters. The dialogue between them did not help to further explain the plot or resolve their problems. And ultimately, the ending is weak. The film should have ended with Elliott and Alma separated in Mrs. Jones's house. I think it would be effective for the movie to end at the moment when both character has found what has been lost between them. In this case, their marriage.

Shyamalan's script is undercooked. The first half was okay, but he either did not know how to end his story, or he was just lazy to write a meaningful second half. Mark Wahlberg is seriously miscast in this. He is an actor capable of doing a bad ass character like his character in The Departed. But as a high school teacher with little dose of bad ass-ness? I don't think so. Zooey Deschanel, my personal favorite actress, still showed her undeniable charm, but again, the lack of good direction made her performance falls flat and stilted.

All that being said, i still think the movie is entertaining. It is not, by any means, a good movie. But it had it moments and certainly doesn't deserve all the bashing it received. For me, the movie has a subtle way of showing how man will react in the manner of surviving. The story itself diverted into a goofy thriller that still managed to deliver suspense and twitching scares, particularly through the use of landscape as the medium for the suspense. The characters were given time to look within themselves and reflect upon their actions. The pace is also well maintained, and doesn't fall into a typical cliche disaster movie such as The Day After Tomorrow, or Armageddon. James Newton Howard's score was as good as ever. It reminds me of the late Bernard Herrmann's score in a Hitchcock film.

Shyamalan has been performing below par for a couple of years now. What was thought to be the promising director that could be the next Alfred Hitchcock has gone. Let's just hope that he's not gone for good. He got to find his niche, and regain the reputation that he once has. I still have faith in this guy, I know a lot of people still have. Now, it's up to him to repay all that faith.

The Man Behind the Iron Mask

After so many superhero movies ever produced, i only managed to pick four of them that i really think could translate the actual comic to a big screen medium. They are Superman: The Movie back in '78, X2: X-men United in 2003, Spiderman 2 in 2004, and Batman Begins in 2005. Superman basically creates a blue print of how to make a superhero movie, while x2 proved that a superhero team movie with so many characters still could end up to be great. As for Spiderman 2, and Batman Begins, they are two completely great superhero movie, with the opposite way of story telling. Spiderman was more colorful, and action packed, while Batman was darker, and more realistic. However, the four of them has something in common: They had heart, and great characterization. So, this would bring us to the main topic, will Iron Man stand up to those movies i mentioned above. The answer is YES. Very much YES.

Iron Man is the perfect example of a superhero movie which respect its original material, and turned it into something way much cooler. Anyone who doubt Jon Favreau capability to direct this movie can just get their ass kicked (yes, i got my ass kicked). He made all the right decisions in making the movie. He cast the dead perfect Robert Downey jr as Tony Stark. Stark is one of the biggest brain in the planet, an alcoholic, and a womanizer at the same time. Downey have had some of those problems in the real life before. That's what made him perfect for the role. He also made Tony Stark character funnier, with his perfect timing of comedic punch lines. The rest of the supporting cast like Terence Howard, as Stark's best friend Jim Rhodes, Gwyneth Paltrow as the reliable assistant, Pepper Potts, and Jeff Bridges as the main villain Obadiah Stane was all superb in their respective roles.

In terms of special effects, and costume design, Iron Man will satisfy you. No, let me rephrase that, it will blow you away. The combination between Adi Granov suit, Stan Winston design, and all of the effects from ILM resulted in a stunning visual representation for the eyes. But, above all, the strength of this movie lies in the character Tony Stark itself. Started as a super rich, naive, douche bag, he began to find his real cause of life after being held hostage in Afghanistan. His relationship with fellow prisoner, Yinsen, who was played by Shaun Toub, is the defining moment to the birth of Iron Man.Their relationship was genuinely established to evolve Tony Stark's personality. After that, it's all lock and loaded full throttle action from the Iron Man himself.

The only thing that i found disappointing is the score. Throughout the movie we didn't get that heroic score to accompany our hero's adventure. Hans Zimmer's score is weak, and couldn't drive viewer's emotion in any way. I guess Favreau should have gone to Danny Elfman, or even John Williams to make this movie more epic. That said, this movie is still superbly crafted.

Iron Man will satisfy those people who demanded pure summer blockbuster movie, and also the-hard-to-be-pleased fanboys. Fanboys will get excited by the inclusion of S.H.I.E.L.D in the movie, and of course, the appearance of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D after the end credits. I think i soiled myself when he delivered the last line of the movie, "I'm here to talk about the Avengers initiative". Even more geek goodness in the next two years!!

until next time,
be kind, rewind.

The Inspirational Journey

I have just recently watched Into The Wild, a film by Sean Penn, which told the real life journey of 23 year old Christopher McCandless, who left his home to travel across the country and live in the wild. Without giving you much of the film, i just want to say that this movie is really, really inspirational. I don't know what is it about me that always somewhat amazed by the idea of going on a journey or a road trip alone, and for some time just disconnected to the world you live in, and the society you're in now.

I can't help but noticing that McCandless is just one of the product of modern society, he did what his parents told him to, he went to college, graduate, and possibly looking for a job afterwards. This is exactly what we are told to do, i mean "we" in the context of young people who are finishing their latter stage of education. I can see myself doing that in the next 2 years. Probably i'll be doing some boring job behind the desk in a couple of years from now, and rot slowly behind that desk for the next 3 or 4 decades. This is what McCandless see, but the difference is, he did something about it. He didn't want to spend his life worrying about making money, or do as he told, he simply want to explore the world and blend with nature. He didn't really like being at home, his parents are not the best parents in the world, so he wanted to get out of his life and do something new in his life.

What i envy about McCandless is that he was brave enough to leave everything he had behind, and just living his dreams. Doing what he wanted to do. I wish i have the courage to do that. I really wanted to do something like that. Just cut yourself from the world you know for some time, and live your dreams. McCandless has opened my eyes, and maybe a lot of people's eyes, that there is so much more in this world that you can see and do. I read in a couple of forums around the internet that mentioned McCandless was a fool to try live by himself in Alaskan forest, and that he died because of his own idiotic behaviour. I guess a lot of people kinda missed the point here. McCandless was living the life he wanted, He knew what the consequences are, but he is also a human being who made mistakes. It is our responsibility to learn from his experience and make the best of it.

I've been wanting to do some kind of soul searching road trip for quite a while now, and after seeing what McCandless did, I've become more motivated to do that. Someday, i promise myself.


"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greather joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun." -- Chris McCandless

Rest in peace, Christopher J. McCandless

Weekly Recap

Entering the first week of March, let me tell you what's happening in my world. No, i'm not gonna whine about how my life's going right now. You've gone to the wrong blog if you think i'm gonna write some diary stuff here.

MUSIC
I've been listening to some new albums these couple of weeks. I'm quite surprise of how good they turned out to be. Not all of them are new releases, some of them were out last year. So, here they are :

The New Pornographers - Challengers (Key tracks: My rights versus yours, challengers)
Rilo Kiley - Under The Blacklight (key tracks: Silver lining, Moneymaker)
Bright Eyes - Cassadaga (Key tracks: Four winds)

New Pornographers are surprisingly great. I like their sound and their lyrics. The album are possibly one of the best of 2007. Rilo Kiley's newest album is more dance-y and has more beat than their previous record. They really explore new areas of music that they haven't touched before, and it turns out to be a good thing. As for Bright Eyes, i still prefer their I'm wide awake it's morning album, but this album was not bad. For you who like indie/pop/folk combination like me, this is the album for you. I am also anxious to hear the new Death Cab For Cutie album, titled Narrow Stairs, that will come out sometime this year. I'm sure that will be a great album, or at least a good album.

MOVIE
I didn't watch many new movies this week. Only a couple of old dvds that i rented a couple of days ago. Those movie were Spartan, Jerry Maguire, and Before Sunset. I must say, i am really impressed with Before Sunset. This movie picks up the spirit, warmth, and smartness of its prequel, Before Sunrise. I found myself smiling all over the film. I just feel that this is how a romantic comedies should be made. It's the sparks between the actors, the chemistry, and the great dialogue that made the movie so sweet. I truly believe that Before Sunset is one of my favorite romantic comedies ever.

This week i also found myself idolizing a certain director. I realized that i wanted to be like him. His films are all great, and always left me somewhat amazed by its beauty. I proudly present my favorite director, Paul Thomas Anderson.


for you who did not know who he is, he's the director of Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-drunk Love, and There Will be Blood. It's a bit sad that he didn't won the best director award at the Oscar a couple of days ago. I think he deserved it. But hell, Scorsese didn't win it until last year. So why bother? He is a true great director. He'll get it someday.

And another great news is my favorite actress, Zooey Deschanel, is going to star in a comedy movie with Paul Dano (There Will be Blood, Little Miss Sunshine) called Gigantic. I am very excited by the prospect of the two working together. Dano showed great potential to be a big star, and Deschanel will always be my favorite actress. Oh, and this month will also marks her debut in music, with the long awaited release of her album with M.Ward, by the name of She & Him. I'm looking forward for that album. M. Ward is a well known indie musician/producer, and Zooey Deschanel is an awesome singer. They are on the cover of Under the Radar magazine for the winter edition;



Wow, it looks like she's going to compete with Jenny Lewis for the new indie queen darling. If Jenny Lewis and Zooey Deschanel are going to be on the same stage together, i think my indie geek dream will finally come true.

The Birth of a Classic

As i mentioned on the year end review, just two posts below this, i haven't get the chance to see There Will be Blood, not until 2 days ago. And as of 2 days ago, P.T Anderson has officially became my hero. His vision was always great, but in this film, it was just simply astonishing. There is no flaw in his directing, and there are many moments of pure greatness in the picture. This is the film of our time, the Citizen Kane of our generation. Without any doubt, There Will be Blood deserved to stand as one of the best film of all time, along with Schindler's List, Citizen Kane, and Treasure of Sierra Madre.

The movie started with a strange noise which escalated with every second it passes. It drags the audience into the dark and gloomy desert of western America. The noise is followed by almost 15 minutes of wordless shot of Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) working his way to make a fortune by digging for silver ore in a deep well, full of rock. From there, we were brought to his discovery of oil, and how he make his way to be a successful oil man. This transition from an ordinary man to a successful oil man is where the drama starts. We see how an ambition can turns a man against his own nature, and transform himself into someone who defies anything that comes between him and his ambition. An ambition that tested him through his relationship with his son, religion, and the social scene around him.

Daniel Day-Lewis' portrayal of Daniel Plainview maybe the best performance of the year, or even of the decade. He gives a haunting, dramatic and a great depth of emotion into the character. Plainview is a pure old fashioned American, who struggled with his life on the late 19th century. When he discovered about oil, and made success of it, Plainview is not the same man as before. There is greed in his eyes, he sees the world different, and Daniel Day-Lewis showed it with his action, mannerism, and voice. Paul Dano, who played the preacher Eli Sunday also gave a great performance. He managed to match Day-Lewis' greedy portrayal of Daniel Plainview.

Paul Thomas Anderson uses all his creativities in the film. There are many memorable scenes, and some trademark P.T Anderson shot. The one long shot when Plainview is reunited with his son, the shot when we see Plainview is sitting on the centre of the screen looking at the-about-to-explode tower, and the first shot of Plainview in the well are all superb. I guess he brings out all of his creativity in this film. The music, which i mentioned as noises in the beginning, are all thanks to Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood. Anderson ask Greenwood personally to fill in the score for this movie, and it worked really great for the movie.

If you are sick and tired of all the blockbuster hits, Michael Bay stuff, typical romantic comedies, and you want to experience the greatness of film, go watch this film. Paul Thomas Anderson is on the road to join world's greatest directors such as, Scorsese, Spielberg, and Coppola. As for Daniel Day-Lewis, he's now officially put himself in the same spot as Brando, Bogart, and De Niro.

Artists of 2007

This is a follow-up to my year end cinema review. The last post is about movies, this time it's about the men and women in and behind the movies. So, here's my list, enjoy:

Casey Affleck


He proved us that he is a better actor than his more famous brother, Ben, by starring in 2 of the best films in 2007, The Assassination of Jesse James, and Gone Baby Gone. And he also starred alongside big names such as, Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Garcia, in Ocean's Thirteen. He rounded up 2007 with an Oscar nomination for his role in The Assassination of Jesse James. For this he deserves to be one of the artists of 2007.


Ellen Page


Page's career has rocketed so high last year, thanks to Jason Reitman's Juno. The movie did not only put Page's name on the list of rising stars, but also put her name into one to watch in the future. Her smart and witty portrayal of Juno is just perfect example on why she is named as one of the best this year.

Josh Brolin


Starred not in 1, but 3 great movies of the year, Josh Brolin has kicked started his career. American Gangster, Grindhouse, and No Country for Old Men are the evidence. Those 3 movies marks the comeback of a real American bad ass.

Judd Apatow


Apatow is comedy's next best thing. After the funny 40 year old Virgin last year, he followed up the movie with a pregnancy comedy, Knocked Up. He also produced another kick ass comedies such as Superbad, and Walk Hard. It's hard to see another man behind great comedies other than him. And next year he's going to prove that he is still the best in business.

Michael Cera


After the cancelled tv show, Arrested Development, Cera's career has unexpectedly rises. Superbad, in which he successfully made us laugh with his performance along with Jonah Hill and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, is his ticket to stardom. He also shows some range by playing Ellen Page's love interest in Juno. Cera is officially the next hero of geek community.

Javier Bardem


His role as the mentally deluded/cold blooded killer, Anton Chigurh is so haunting that i have to add him to the list. Chigurh is every person's nightmare. He's the one that haunts you in your dreams. And of course, for that role, he received numerous award nomination, including an Oscar nomination.

Movies of 2007

I know it's February already, i know it's a bit late to post this but what the hell, won't do any harm, right? One of the reason i haven't published this post is because i have yet to see There Will Be Blood. I wanted to put it on my list, since P.T Anderson is one of my favorite, but i can't put it on my list before i watched it, right? Objectivity is important, people.
Alright, without further ado, this is my list of the movies of 2007.

Bourne Ultimatum
The Bourne trilogy has never failed to impressed, especially after Paul Greengrass took over the director's chair from Doug Liman. On this third installment of the series, Bourne got more serious. It's an adrenaline ride from the first minute til the end. It leaves the audience no room to cool down, and that's the beauty of it. Greengrass' signature handheld camera managed to capture all the coolness of the action. And this movie made John McClane, Jack Ryan, even James Bond looks like a rookie. For that, i give credit to our coolest, most bad ass, and newest action hero Matt Damon.

Superbad
Don't let the title fooled you, Superbad isn't bad at all, it's actually supergood, and superfunny. Judd Apatow produced this movie from a script that is written by his close friends and most frequent collaborator, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The comedic performance from both of the main roles are brilliant. Jonah Hill, and Michael Cera may be the comedy's next best thing, and of course, you should include the debutant, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who played the superfunny McLovin. I say, step aside Stiller, and you too, Sandler!! 'Cause these kids can kick your asses. Real bad.

Gone Baby Gone
To tell you the truth, i never really like Ben Affleck as an actor. He never quite reach the point where everybody acknowledge his performance. Just see the terrible Gigli, his movie with his then fiancee, Jennifer Lopez. However, i must say i am really impressed with his directorial debut here. Instead of playing the main role, he gives the role to his brother, Casey Affleck. I think Casey Affleck is twice the actor than his brother.
The movie itself told a story about how a private investigator, Patrick Kenzie and his associate/girlfriend Angie Gennaro, solve a case of missing child. The film has a great twist, and most importantly, questions our moral sense in a most dire situation. Gone Baby Gone may be one of best american crime drama in the past couple of years. And for that i thank the Affleck Brothers.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
This is a movie that you how it's gonna end. It's just a matter of how good the director gonna deliver it. And in this case, Andrew Dominik has done a great job. It wasn't easy to watch the movie. The runtime is almost three hours long, and the movie doesn't have many action sequence either, but the brilliant performance by its cast, especially Casey Affleck and Brad Pitt, and the beautiful cinematography by Roger Deakins made it all worthwhile. The films also has a lot of layers that challenged the audience to interpret their own version on the assassination. Did Jesse let Ford killed him? or was it just a lack of carefulness that led Jesse James to his death? You decide what you want to believe. For me, that's the beauty of the film.

Once
I've never been a big fan of musical film. I don't like Moulin Rouge, Chicago, and not even remotely interested in seeing Hairspray, no matter how good they were reviewed. Once is the film that changed my perception of a musical.
Once is a small film with big heart. It is first and foremost, a love story. But if you think this is just another "Music & Lyrics", you are dead wrong. This movie has three things that other so-called romantic comedies don't have; Heart, subtleties, and chemistry.
The 2 protagonists, played by newcomer Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, shines with their acting, their great voices, and their perfect chemistry. The music on this movie are composed by Glen Hansard himself. He practically gives life to this movie. With a beautiful backdrop on the streets of Dublin, this movie is a perfect blend for you who likes indie music and film.

Juno
If last year we got the sleeper hit, Little Miss Sunshine, this year we have Juno. First timer screenwriter, Diablo Cody, delivers one of the best script of the year with its smart and witty dialogue. Juno is a story about a 16 year old girl facing her pregnancy. The title character is played by the young and talented Canadian, Ellen Page. Page portrayals of Juno is somewhat fascinating. She delivers the character with the perfect amount of wittiness and emotional depth of a troubled 16 year old. The supporting cast, which comprises of J.K Simmons, Allison Janney, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Olivia Thirlby, and Michael Cera, did a great job to accompany Page on the main role. Juno is not only funny, but it also has a lot of message. And for that, Juno is one of the movies of 2007.

Planet Terror
Planet terror is actually one of the part of Grinhouse, a back to back movie directed by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. There is a reason why i put Planet Terror instead of Grindhouse as the movie of the year. It's plainly because i didn't enjoy the second part of Grindhouse, which is directed by Tarantino, Deathproof. While Planet Terror is a very fun and enjoyable ride, Deathproof is just plain boring. Planet Terror told the story of a town hit by strange sickness, which made the people who are infected turned to a zombie-like creature. There are explosions, cranky jokes, ridiculous make ups, and hot chicks, which make it more enjoyable. This movie is a homage to 70's exploitation movie, and b-movie. And who thought that this kind of movie can be such fun. All thanks to the good hands of Robert Rodriguez.

I'm Not There
A groundbreaking achievement for director Todd Haynes, who took a different approach to make a biography movie about Bob Dylan. Instead of making the movie in regular way such as, Ray, and Walk The Line, which uses a single actor as the main character, Haynes uses 6 different actors to portray 6 different stage of Dylan's life. Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Marcus Carl Franklin, Bob Whishaw, and Cate Blanchett are all Dylan. Yes, you heard me right, THAT Cate Blanchett. With a non linear story, this movie captured the emotion of the man behind American music with such depth and beauty.

3:10 to Yuma
I think it's fair that 2007 marks the comeback of western movie. After Dominik's Assassination of Jesse James, James Mangold took a slightly different part for his western flick. If Jesse James relies heavily on its drama, 3:10 to Yuma is more of an action western. With two great leads played by Russel Crowe, and Christian Bale, which played superbly on their role, this movie flies high among other action movies on 2007. It's been a while since we were provided a good western action movie, and 3:10 to Yuma may mark the comeback of one of the most classic genre in American cinema.

RIP: Heath Ledger

I started this morning by saying "Holy shiiiiiiiiit!!!!". I couldn't believe my eyes when i saw the news on the net about Heath Ledger's death. He was found dead at his apartment this morning, with sleeping pills found around his body. Ledger was only 28.
After he started from teen movie like 10 things i hate about you, he took more serious roles in The Patriot, The Brothers Grimm and I'm, Not There. He's proven himself as one of the best by his performance as a gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain, which garnered him an Oscar nomination. It's just a couple of days ago i watched I'm Not There, and he was the better actor on the movie. I'm also looking forward for his portrayal of Joker in next summer's, The Dark Knight. Even before the film is released, there are many people who praised his performance on that movie. Director Chris Nolan, and even Michael Caine said that he was terrified just by looking at Ledger when he shoots the film.
Today the film industry lost one of its most precious assets. Today we mourn for the lost of one of our best on screen actor. Rest in peace, Heath Ledger.

Life Behind the Scene

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is the newest show from acclaimed writer Aaron Sorkin, who also created Sports Night, and The West Wing. To tell you the truth, Sorkin may be the best writer in the industry. The format of the show is very similar to West Wing, where the drama and story line are brought up through constant dialogue between the characters. Story takes places behind the scene of a sketch show called Studio 60 on the sunset strip, kinda like Saturday Night Live. Story revolves around how writer Matt Albie and his best friend/director Danny Tripp are dealing with their new position as the executive producers of the show, after resigning from the show 6 years ago. I'm not going to say much about the story, so let's just say it's pretty much West Wing on Hollywood.



Sorkin still works with his buddy director, Thomas Schlamme, in most of the episodes. Actually the relationship between the character Matt Albie, who's a writer, and Danny Tripp, Matt's best friend and director, are based on Sorkin's friendship with Schlamme. Studio 60 may as well be Sorkin's most personal work. Many of the elements of the show are loosely based on Sorkin's experience in real life. Matt Albie's relationship with the star of the show, Harriet Hayes, are reported to be a reflection of Sorkin's love life with Kristin Chenoweth, a star of West Wing.

The bad news though, the show is being cancelled only after its first season. The ratings were low and continued to decrease throughout the season. I, myself, honestly enjoyed the show. But apparently not the other people. They say the show is far too complicated and overly smart for a writer of a sketch show. I personally think it was not a problem whether they think the show is too smart or not, it's a matter of taste. People didn't enjoy the show because it isn't made as a comedy, but rather a drama. And Sorkin also add some controversial stuff in the show. He made a perspective on how he views christians, network executives, and war of terror. These are sensitive subject for most Americans. As a result, many will think the show is unpatriotic. Sorkin, for better or worse, is a concerned American. He writes from his heart. I acknowledge his effort on this show. The show is an honest take on how someone would voiced his opinions and concern on real world situation, whether it's just on working environment, or even a personal principle. Look at the scenes between Matt and Harriet when they were discussing about Christianity. And look at the scenes between Matt and Danny when they confront the network executive on how they wrote a sketch about the war. They were all pure thoughts, pro and contra of people opinions.

For me, the show has many great moments and a great cast to support the story. Matthew Perry, Chandler Bing on Friends, played really well as Matt Albie. Danny Tripp is played by Sorkin's regular, Bradley Whitford. But i should say i am impressed with Sarah Paulson who played devoted Christian and the star of the sketch show, Harriet Hayes. There is so many layers to this character, and Paulson succesfully gets into the character. The rest of the character include Amanda Peet, as Danny Tripp love interest, and Timothy Busfield, as the crew of Studio 60.

Despite the good writing and good cast, the show has its flaws. Entering the midseason, the episode began to get slow. There are some episodes that are just plain boring. And the on-off relationship between Matt and Harriet are getting nowhere. Luckily, Sorkin
quickly lead the show to get back on track. The last story arc, episode 19-22, are just great. There are many funny moments, and smart dialogue.

Like it or not, Studio 60 has provide a good look at Hollywood production of a sketch show, and even more importantly, it shows how people (of Hollywood) are viewing the situations of the world. For me, i choose to like the show, no matter how bad the ratings were, no matter how bad people are talking the show. Studio 60 is one of a few good shows on TV.