Category Archives: Movies

her

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3.5 stars (out of 4)

Released 2013

Even though it’s not likely I’ll feel compelled to re-watch this film, I’m going to be generous and bump it up to 3.5 stars for its well-written script. While addressing issues related to being involved in an unconventional romance, the movie successfully painted a complex picture of the evolution of a relationship over time.

Human beings are ever-growing, ever-changing creatures. And the impact that has on interpersonal relationships is pretty universal. Members of any partnership ultimately face the same ups and downs, the same challenges of trying to understand one another. “her” aptly demonstrated these aspects while following a natural flow.

I also liked how small changes in thought processes were shown to have significant effects on mood and psychological wellbeing.

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE

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3 stars (out of 4)

Released 2013

This is the second part of the Hunger Games trilogy. There’s not much recap, so familiarity with the first film or book is a must. Being the middle segment, the obvious drawback is that the movie ends a bit abruptly; it’s best to be prepared for that.

As a reader of the books, I was somewhat dissatisfied that Katniss served as merely a symbol of hope and revolution, instead of being an actual hero who makes decisions to incite change. But despite any personal issues I might have with the overall story, I found this film to be very enjoyable.

EVANGELION: 3.0 YOU CAN (NOT) REDO.

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2 stars (out of 4)

Released 2012 (in Japan)

EVA 3.0 is the third of a proposed 4-film reinterpretation of the classic Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series. I have not seen the original series. However, I have watched the first 2 films and I can’t honestly say I’m a fan of the franchise. I don’t recall feeling anything for the characters and I didn’t find the mecha action to be that engaging either. The inclusion of fanservice was jarring and contributed to my lack of enjoyment of those earlier films. Strangely, EVA 3.0 doesn’t really build on the plot of its predecessors; but if it does anything right, it’s by scaling back the fanservice a lot and substituting BL undertones instead.

On several occasions, the audience broke out laughing at the (presumably) unintentional humour of the budding bromantic relationship between Shinji and Kaworu. That was actually the best part of the whole movie. Not just because it was funny (it was), or that I’m into BL (I’m not, really), but because that was the one part that actually was easy to understand. Having lost the life he knew, it made sense that Shinji would want a friend that he could hang out with and confide in.

A big chunk of the action happens right at the start of the film. Visually, it was nice enough, but beyond the general gist, I found it hard to follow what was going on. Actually, regarding the animation as a whole, the CG looked good, and the cel animation looked more than good, but I felt they didn’t mesh together that well.

In an even bigger chunk of the movie, Shinji mopes around by himself, pondering his existence.

Even though the screening was very late at night, it did hold my attention, surprisingly. I can’t really say, though, that the plot made a lick of sense to me or that I recommend the film to anyone.

DEF LEPPARD: VIVA! Hysteria

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3 stars (out of 4)

Released 2013

VIVA! Hysteria is the concert video of Def Leppard’s eleven-show residency at the Joint in Las Vegas this past spring. The special feature was the performance of their multi-million-selling album “Hysteria” in its entirety for the first time.

I actually saw this in the theatre during the very limited run at the beginning of the month. It’s about to be released on DVD and Blu-ray, so I guess if I’m going to write about it, now is a good time!

As far as concert videos go, it was really quite good. Good sound, sharp visuals. I liked that the camera lingered on the band members long enough that we could see their faces and their playing clearly, which is a rare thing, surprisingly. What I didn’t particularly like was the occasional filming through the personal cameras of random audience members; that’s not a technique I enjoy and it was overused, I thought.

There was also footage from a special acoustic session that included “Two Steps Behind”, “Now”, “When Love and Hate Collide”, and more.

Naturally, the band sounded polished and tight. What can I say? “Hysteria” is chock-full of amazing songs, and they sounded great live: “Animal”, “Pour Some Sugar on Me”, “Love Bites”, the list goes on and on. Personally, I always love their live rendition of album track “Gods of War”. And another highlight was “Love and Affection”, which was a rare treat to see performed live.

REAL

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2.5 stars (out of 4)

Released 2013 (Toronto International Film Festival)

A young man enters the subconscious mind of his comatose lover through a procedure called “sensing”. His purpose is to discover why she tried to commit suicide and to find a way to wake her up. But things are not exactly what they seem; and when he starts to experience hallucinatory side effects, it becomes hard to differentiate the real from the not real.

The movie was a bit more frightening than I expected. Frequent imagery involving mirrors, glass and shadows created an eerie, unsettling atmosphere. And some of the visions were quite disturbing.

It was probably a bit longer than it needed to be, too, such that there was plenty of time to see one particular plot twist coming. Also, there were quite a few red herrings, such as characters who acted suspiciously for no reason. Other than that, the various little mysteries did get resolved; but ultimately, I felt those subplots failed to properly tie in with the overall coma storyline.

THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: City of Bones

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3 stars (out of 4)

Released 2013

Teenager Clary Fray suddenly discovers she can see things that other people can’t. Subsequently, her mother disappears after their home is attacked. Clary herself is saved by a shadowhunter and falls in with them upon learning that she is also of the half-angel bloodline. The Shadowhunters help her to understand her new powers and, of course, working with them offers the best hope of finding her mother.

Alright, let’s get the film’s main flaw out of the way first: namely, the generally weak, unnatural dialogue. For example, some lines that sounded like they should have been thoughts were spoken aloud instead. My unbunny sister brutally described it as having the feel of a “Canadian film”. (Incidentally, she was not surprised to learn that the movie was partially shot in Toronto, but I digress.) I do give the actors credit, though, for managing to handle the sometimes-clumsy lines just well enough that I didn’t start laughing inappropriately at the wrong times.

The one-liners also weren’t terribly funny, but the attempted humour was light-hearted and inoffensive at least, so I don’t hold it against the movie too much.

In spite of the shortcomings, I still enjoyed the film. The characters were strong and likeable and the storytelling was good. I liked that elements that were introduced earlier came into play logically later on. Additionally, some of the demons were genuinely terrifying.

I confess I also have a certain fondness for dark gothic themes and dark gothic costumes. So if those sorts of things don’t appeal to you, then it’s possible your mileage may vary.

Elysium

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Elysium Poster.jpg

2.5 stars (out of 4)

Released 2013

There are some really interesting ideas presented in this film about a dystopian future – writer/director Neill Blomkamp has again constructed a rich world with multiple facets for exploring – but he seems to have left many details unexplained, such that each character’s motivations/fears/expectations are confusingly vague. It’s impossible to feel any suspense when it is unclear what any given character thinks is likely to happen vs. what he hopes will happen.

A Separation

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3.25 stars (out of 4)

Released 2011

The interesting thing about this Oscar winner (for Best Foreign Language Film) is that it  draws the viewer into the lives of several interlinked people who end up at odds with each other, but manages to keep of all of the characters relatable and fundamentally decent.

The acting is so natural that it feels like a documentary.  I don’t usually like a lot of handheld camera, but in this case it helps with the realism and also, as the camera navigates the tight corridors of the apartment where most of the action takes place, gives a sense of the claustrophobia of these people trying to get along together in tight quarters and difficult circumstances.

There is also an interesting depiction of how family/civil court operates in Iran.  I’m not sure how realistic it is, but it inadvertently shows why, in the west, we have chosen a much stricter standard for admissible evidence even though it comes at considerably higher court costs.

The only thing keeping this film from a 3.5 star rating is that the early sections establishing the household’s routines go on too long.

OBLIVION

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3.25 stars (out of 4)

Released 2013

(Mild spoilers ahead)

This post-apocalyptic sci-fi entry, featuring Tom Cruise, has been criticized for its derivative themes.  It does have some striking similarities to other sci-fi films (esp. Moon, starring Sam Rockwell) but rearranges those borrowed themes into a new and well-told story, akin to The Matrix‘s debt to Dark City.  I think, in general, that science fiction is held to a higher (and unfair) standard for creativity than other genres.  Yes, it’s another film about clones, but you don’t hear other films being dismissed in the same way for being yet another drama about a dysfunctional family, or yet another suspense featuring a double-cross.

The big budget was put to good use in the design and execution of the vehicles and other machines.  It’s a good-looking movie.  The story was thoughtfully told, with plot points only being revealed at critical moments, and with loose ends satisfying tied up by the end.