Legion

How about another religious movie? Ok! But unlike The Book of Eli, I'm not sure how to feel about this one. What I mean is that I am not sure if I understand the point they were trying to make. In a way, it's like a modern-day Christ story. Charlie, a waitress in a diner in the middle of nowhere is pregnant and she and her cohorts at the diner were attacked by a possessed old lady and they don't know why. Then, Michael, the arch-angel comes and tells them that God is fed up with the world and that he is instructing the angels to possess the weak-willed and have them find Charlie and kill her so that her baby is not born, for if he is, humanity is saved. Michael goes against God's will and tries to save the baby because of his love for the human race.

I really do want to like this movie, but I am not sure whether to be offended or not (and it doesn't seem like anyone else does either). Either God is testing his angels, or God has to be shown that he can have faith in humanity again. If the latter is true, then I'm not sure that I liked the story as much. However, it is fictitious and no one should go into this believing that this is the truth.

Overall, there were a couple of turns in this movie that I would have taken differently. I mean, the concept is actually really good--but would have been executed way better if it was done by a devout Christian and had an obvious Christian take on the whole situation.

The acting was good, except for Charlie. The highlight, however, was Tyrese Gibson who gives a really good performance--too bad he had a minor role.

Either way, I think it is worth seeing so that you can determine your own take on the story and come up with your own conclusions.

Overall Grade: C+ (I think)


-Ethan Brehm

The Lovely Bones

Not being much of a reader, I have never read the critically acclaimed book version of this movie, so I may have a different take on the movie compared to someone who has actually read the book. However, I did hear that the movie version does portray a different message and overall point than the book does.

The movie was good, and I thought that the story was interesting. Stanly Tucci did an excellent job portraying the kidnapper, and the girl who played the main character, Suzie, also did a really great job and it is obvious that she has a real future in this business.

It was interesting seeing a society handle and deal with a kidnapping during a time when kidnappings were less common, and when people let their kids walk to school by themselves. However, I wished that the film portrayed the theme of forgiveness (which is what I thought they were gonna do) rather than purely revenge. But overall, it was a good experience and one worth seeing.

Overall Grade: B-


-Ethan Brehm

The Spy Next Door

You gotta love Jackie Chan movies. Even if some parts are TOO unbelievable (even for a kid's movie) and his acting is not that great, he is really funny and charismatic and makes an unbearable film turn somewhat bearable. Even though this film lacks even decent acting, with the exception of the bad guys and George Lopez, it made me laugh out loud without realizing it at least twice, which automatically prevents it from getting anything lower than a C-. But, like I said, the acting was REALLY bad--especially the woman who played the mom, and not to mention Jackie Chan is caught smirking at a couple of parts that were supposed to be serious (I guess that's editing?) However, the youngest girl is really adorable in a Drew-Barrymore-from-E.T. sort of way.

One must understand that kid movies are directed towards kids and that not a lot of adults will go to watch this movie on their own will, so the criticisms have to be somewhat lenient. Although, unlike most child action movies where the action sequences are extremely corny and unrealistic, the Jackie Chan style fight scenes made them actually pretty cool! And, surprisingly, there was even a little blood in some scenes! There's also a (minor) twist thrown in the film, which gives it more points.

Overall, this is a HORRIBLE time for new movies to come out--especially movies that don't even make it into the top two movies that opened that WEEK!

Overall Grade: C+


-Ethan Brehm

Youth In Revolt

In an effort to show the world that he does not only play the same role in movies, Michael Cera does just that. He plays Nick Twisp, a wimpy, confidence-impaired teenager who has an alter ego who helps him in being a bad boy. So Cera is not just playing a different role, he is playing TWO different roles.

The movie is funny throughout, and is probably Michael Cera at his best. I would definitely watch this movie again. But would I buy it on DVD? It would have to be cheap. The screenplay was excellently written, and also very well executed. The acting was also on the ball as far as the whole cast--not just the key players. Cera's lines are delivered in the same way that makes the whole world fall in love with him over and over again. It is believable, and a story that many teenage boys can relate to. I just don't think that it is MY type of movie. But hey--maybe it's one of those films that gets better every time you watch it. That's how a lot of comedies are with me.

Overall Grade: B


-Ethan Brehm

The Book of Eli

Sometimes I feel that if I go into a movie without having any expectations, I will like it better (and if you are one of these people, stop reading now). With this film, it wouldn't have mattered, even if I had high expectations of the movie. This is one of the most amazing films I have ever seen. There was not one part that I would take out or change. It is flawless and shows Denzel Washington at his finest. Not often can films bring tears to my eyes, but this one did. Maybe part of the reason is that I am a devout Roman Catholic and this movie meant all the more to me, but even the not-as-Christian audiences loved this one (not everybody, of course). The idea behind the problem is so beautiful that the result may make the world a better place than if the problem never existed in the first place (watch it to know what I mean).

I am not going to begin to explain the plot of this movie because, even if I knew how to, it would take away from the journey experienced from watching the film first-hand. Many people may be criticizing this movie, saying that it is a "typical post-apocalyptic film" or that "we've seen this movie hundreds of times before," but they are obviously not grasping the ACTUAL concept of this film. In fact, it is going right over their heads. See the story as a whole and put down the critic card for a second (at times, I was so into it that I even forgot that I was supposed be writing about it later). Enjoy this film for what it is, because there are not many like it, regardless of what anyone says. It is not just a post-apocalyptic movie. There are even MORE romantic comedies that seem to have been done hundreds of times, but those same critics don't have negativity towards them. Don't go into this film thinking of it as a post-apocalyptic film and just expect an action/adventure the whole time or else your mind will not be as open as it should be. Although it does have an immense offering of action and adventure, it is way more than that. Just put on your patience-caps and watch the movie, and you will thank me for it!

Overall Grade: A+


-Ethan Brehm

Daybreakers

Wow! I really enjoyed this film! I actually try and avoid horror films as much as I can--as a matter of fact, they are the one worry I had about my resolution this year, because I've always hated them. I felt they were usually just scare for scare's sake. My buddy told me that he would see all the horror films with me this year, because, unlike me, he doesn't mind them. So, like always, I was nervous before seeing this movie, and kinda wanted to see Youth In Revolt right after it so that it would help me forget about any visuals that would temporarily scar my memory.

Vampires are definitely "in" nowadays as loving good-guys. But this film really puts the audience's mindset back in time to when vampires were scary. In this movie, vampires control the world and humans are a scarce minority. In fact, there is a worldwide blood shortage. Ethan Hawke's character, Edward, is a vampire who works at a facility that harvests humans for their blood and tries to find a substitute for blood that can help the vampires and prevent them from turning into unintelligible monsters. However, Edward refuses to drink human blood and joins a group of humans that are determined to find a universal cure for vampirism.

Now, maybe since I do not have a whole lot of experience watching horror movies, I am going to have a much different opinion on this movie than others. Don't get me wrong, this movie is gory but I felt that it was almost necessary to portray the extremities of certain aspects of the situation that they were in. Overall, the movie had a great feel to it--I did not want it to be over. Though, when it came to the moment in the movie where I thought it should end, it DID end; and it's not often that that occurs in a film. Many others say may say that this movie's ending was so typical of movies nowadays, but to me, it wasn't so much how it ended, but more of WHAT was resolved. The ending gave me goosebumps--but in a good way--and that also doesn't happen often in movies. The film also had a good theme of "not always conforming to what everyone else is doing if you believe that what you're doing is right." It also shows you that just because it seems like the vast majority has the upper hand, doesn't mean that they do. They're weakness can be much greater than yours is. Edward is probably one of the greatest written protagonists I've ever seen in a movie. The film showed his weakness, but not to the point where he ever becomes not loyal. Also, Willem Dafoe's character, Elvis, gives a short monologue that really puts the scenario into perspective. It was a completely satisfying film that I could watch over and over again (not by myself, of course)!

Overall Grade: A-

As a side not, I thought it was really cool how the film had a bluish-gray lighting to it, and how that helped to emphasize the ruby red blood that was being held in all of the drinking glasses.


-Ethan Brehm

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

By far the strangest film I have seen since Harold and Maude. I made the big mistake of not researching anything about this movie before going into it. All I knew was that Heath Ledger was in the middle of filming it before he died back in 2008. So, because of this lack of information, I went into the movie thinking that it would be a fantasy-adventure film, much like Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (perhaps it was the title?). It was actually a very dark movie about wager and deception, but it was more importantly about coping with stupid decisions that one may make in his or her life, and not digging yourself deeper by making more bad decisions. Doctor Parnassus, played by Christopher Plummer, wins his immortality from a bet with the Devil (Tom Waits) many centuries ago. Now, the Devil is coming back to receive another payment from Doc, in which he must give the Devil his daughter on the night of her 16th birthday. Heath Ledger plays Tony, a charismatic entrepreneur, who is saved by Doctor Parnassus and his troupe. Doc has a traveling show in which he allows participants to travel through a mirror and into their own imagination guided by his powers.

I found the storytelling to be a little bit weak, and also felt that there should have been a shift of emphasis between certain aspects of the story--such as showing the Doctor's love for his wife to be a little bit stronger. The movie relied too much on the visuals to tell the story, and not enough balance between that and the dialogue. I felt like it was really up to me to interpret what was going on in much of the movie. The film was extremely slow at some parts, and confusing as well--especially towards the beginning. However, the visuals of the Imaginarium are incredible and make you want to be able to experience it for yourself.

Though this movie was in the middle of production when Heath Ledger died, the director, Terry Gilliam, decided to finish the filming anyway. Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell all played Ledger's character in the dream land at different points in the movie.

This film is definitely worth seeing--even if you don't manage to catch it while it's in theaters. But it is also a movie that I would have to watch a second time to really base a full opinion off of it. I was kinda confused as to why and how the ending of the movie occurred, so it would help to see it again anyway. I liked how they portrayed your imagination as being both good and evil and that you always have the last say in what decisions you make in life--whether they are wrong or right. It was, however, a little bit hard to decide who the protagonist is in the film--and you will see what I mean if you watch it. You don't know who to trust at all, and at the end of the film, I found myself wondering, "were ANY of them good?!"

In watching this movie, I realized that I can't always base my opinion of a film solely on whether or not it was appealing to me at first watch. It is important to understand the vision of the filmmaker, and whether or not he or she accomplished the goal that you think they wanted to accomplish in making the movie. Overall, I think that he did.

Overall Grade: C+ (I'll let you know if it changes)


-Ethan Brehm

Leap Year

Ok, not the best movie to start off the New Year. It actually got me paranoid that I might actually be taking this critic thing too seriously; but then I realized that it just may be the movie itself. I am usually a big fan of Amy Adams, but her character was annoying me throughout the entirety of the movie. The dialogue seemed forced, and so did the jokes. At times I was getting the impression that the filmmakers were trying to kill a lot of time with stupid banter or minute details that they were hoping would add up to fill more time...and even then, the film was only a mere 97 minutes (including the end credits).

Amy Adams' character, Anna, is in desperation to marry her boyfriend, Jeremy. He flies to Ireland on business and she flies out to meet him and propose to him on February 29th after her father, John Lithgow, reminds her of the old Irish tradition for a woman to propose to her man on Leap Day. During Anna's journey, she comes across a bitter and non-pretentious man, named Declan (played by Matthew Goode).

It was a typical chick flick and hugely predictable in almost every way. Not a whole lot stood out to me in this film. The highlight of the movie was listening to these two old bickering drunk Statler-and-Waldorf-type patrons at the pub. Also, I was hoping for more John Lithgow scenes (we only get one).

Being a PG-rated movie, the impractical and unrealistic style was such of a kid's movie, but the plot and jokes were definitely directed towards adults. It was also apparent that the directing style had a foreign feel to it--and this came to mind even before I realized that the director, Anand Tucker, is a native of Thailand and is based out of London. The good thing is, this movie starts out lousy and gets progressively better (although it doesn't really have a choice).

Most importantly, though the ending was sweet, I would have ended it much differently...and since not all of you are like me--who reads reviews AFTER I go see the movie--I will include my take on the conclusion BELOW the overall grade.

Overall Grade: C-


Spoiler Alert!

So, this is what I think should have happened: Anna should have said yes to Jeremy (who would have turned out to be a sweet and selfless guy), and then Declan, would have sought out his ex-fiancee and proposed to her. Oh, and Anna and Declan would be the best of friends and live happily ever after. Hmm, I don't know, either ending would have been fine...I guess that's what DVD special features are for!

-Ethan Brehm

Hello, World of Blog Readers

As I look at my bank statement, I sigh because I know that there is no choice but to pursue a New Year's resolution that I made for myself a year and a half ago. Even though at the time it was still 2008, I knew that I would need over a year to prepare myself for this commitment. Now that the time is here, I am still nowhere prepared for the journey that is to come in the next 12 months--but I must face the music and follow through. I have told many family and friends about my plan well in advance so that I will feel more motivated and obligated. And after I saw Julie & Julia this past summer, I knew that if Julie Powell could pull off a way more difficult feat, then I should surely have no problem (though she did have a bit more money than I). I am 20-years-old and a full-time student at Cal Poly Pomona here in California, and I have no job (yet), but my task will be saved by matinees and discount theaters.

There is, however, one exception of the films this year--I'm not sure if Twilight Eclipse will be skipped or not (I think it will better prove the point that I can't stand those movies). But like I said, I may change my mind!

I am not the most articulate person in the world, and my reviews of movies often stray from professional critics, so it should be interesting how this turns out. So, if there does happen to be anyone out there interested in this blog, feel free to leave some feedback on my reviews. And if no one is interested, at least I have this web log for my own personal entertainment :)

As for me, tomorrow is a new day, and ironically enough, the first film of the year for me will star Amy Adams. And good thing New Year's Day was a Friday because it gave me an extra week and a half to get prepped!


Wish Me Luck,

Ethan Brehm