Sucker Punch

(photo credit: moviedime.com)

Sucker Punch, directed by Zack Snyder of comic book adaptation fame definitely isn't for everyone. If you check out the reviews right now you will know what I'm talking about: the grades range from high B's to dead F's.

Sucker Punch revolves around an orphaned girl "Baby Doll" (Emily Browning) accused of killing her younger sister and sent to a mental institution where she is to be lobotomized in coming days. Here, she is warped into an alternate universe where she and four other girls ( Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens and Jamie Chung) , also at the institution, are showgirls at a brothel under the cruel watchful eye of the owner Blue (Oscar Isaac), the man who scheduled her lobotomy. However, Baby Doll and her comrades intend to escape the procedure and her alternate reality by way of another alternate universe where she and her team work together to defeat the violent obstacles keeping them from their freedom.

The film indeed does border on sadomasochism; the promiscuous outfits and sexual violence kind of make a person go "hmm..." This film is either solely about female empowerment or...we'll you know, the opposite.

Not to mention the story is a little difficult to understand, and even to explain. To quote Inception "That many dreams within dreams is...too unstable."

(photo credit: www.lucidipedia.com)

However, there were several fight scenes that called forth the memory of the slow-motion and intense fighting we saw in 300. On top of that, the cinematography and CG wasn't half bad. And i've seen Tron: The Legacy, so i've seen half-bad. The film really reminds you of a video game the way there are missions to be completed in order to reach the next level.

Overall, it seems Snyder is going to catch a bad break with the reviews this season. If you are a fan of manga and anime featuring wildly beautiful women in improper clothes warding off evil, you will probably like this one. Something tells me, though, that others will like this film too: the creative, artistic, and not easily offended for starters.

I thought it was interesting, but my friends absolutely hated it. However, it seemed the audience reacted to it quite well. Will this be a film that sits sour with critics, and is loved by movie goers? Time will tell. However, I just know that some will love it, and about twice as many will say that it isn't worth the time. The choice is ultimately yours.

500 Days of Summer Movie Review!

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Shuffling down a quiet street, Tom and Paul are engaged in conversation. “I don’t know man, I think it’s official. I’m in love with Summer,” Tom says. Hopeful, he walks out of the camera leaving Paul on the street, a knowing look growing on his face. Wavering on the sidewalk, he nods his head slightly to himself and says the words we already know, “This is not good.”

Released in 2009 by Fox Searchlight Pictures, but originally an independent film, (500) Days of Summer is in rare form. The film is not stuck in happily-ever-after land, it has evolved, as many indie films do. The story involves two characters who spark up a relationship, but as an uncommon spin on the classic boy-meets-girl tale, the boy falls hard and the girl is unscathed.

Men in different circles all have one saying that immediately evokes an emotional memory: The one that got away. Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is no different. From the first ten minutes of the film, it is revealed to us that Tom is suffering from heartache that stems all from one source. Enter Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel). Summer is the free-spirited new assistant at the greeting card company where Tom works, despite having gone to school for architecture. The narrator makes it clear that Summer was just like any other girl; except she wasn’t. People were drawn to her, and Tom was no different. From there, the film takes off into Tom’s memory; a day-by-day recollection of his off-beat relationship with Summer.

The film, directed by famed music video director Marc Webb, is shot using a nonlinear narrative, evoking Quentin Tarentino. That is where the similarities between Kill Bill and (500) Days of Summer end. Presumably because of this, the movie itself is reminiscent of a music video; colorful, split-screen at places, and lively, as if there were only a few minutes to tell the story. It boldly switches back and forth between points in time. At certain moments, it is a light-hearted mockery of itself, engaging the audience in a series of scenes that are less likely to happen in real life and more likely to be a vivid inclusion of a wild imagination, like Tom’s dance routine in the middle of the park with choreographed strangers. However, moments like these are what make (500) Days of Summer such a joy to watch.

Unlike romantic dramadeys where we are watching the protagonist do ridiculous things for reasons unknown to us, we know Tom. We see his imagination, we know his best friends, and we know his relationship with Summer; we have been there since the end, flung to the beginning and back again. We get the sense that we are seeing a real relationship unfold, suggestive of a relationship any of us could have. Like a real relationship, someone always gives and takes more than the other. This isn’t your typical love story; it happens to be believable.

Despite all this, the movie still manages to be funny. Tom’s fluctuating emotions make for ample opportunities to throw in a light chuckle at some places, and at others a full laugh. A surprising vessel for humor was Tom’s precocious younger sister Rachel (Chloë Moretz), who Tom sought advice from throughout the film. This, the director and writer do very well, letting us watch Tom interact with his sister, and see his vulnerability and naivety, but also insert humor where it is appropriate. Moretz (Kick-Ass) has a cool sense of humor that channels Ellen Page (Juno).

Deschanel (Yes Man) and Gordon-Levitt (Inception) bring rise to a warming sense of charm and chemistry that flows throughout. Gordon-Levitt’s performance carries the film; he is Tom Hansen. The energy he applies to the role seems effortless. He is able to be cringingly awkward while also being humorous and establishing with the audience an air of likeability. Deschanel blossoms throughout the film, a key trait of her character, that leads the audience to believe that Summer really does have an unnamed allure, though at times she is painted as the villain.

At some points, you do get the feeling you are watching the privileged people complain about not having opportunities, but it is forgiven as it is a part of finding themselves. The film is original in the sense that it doesn’t leave the viewers with the impression that they have just wasted two hours watching a romance with no substance, not in the sense that it hasn’t been done before. Coupled with an indie-rock/pop soundtrack ordained for the film, ranging from Regina Spektor to The Smiths, the ambience in each scene seems just right. Overall, the people who will most enjoy the film will be the young, witty, romantics, because though this isn’t a Cinderella story, it still offers a sense of hope that makes it worth watching.

I definitely suggest checking it out.

Movie Suggestion: Brick (2005)

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If you can't get enough Joseph Gordon-Levitt and independent films, check out Brick, about a teenager who is trying to discover the mystery behind his ex-girlfriend's disappearance. It's available on DVD and for streaming on Netflix!

Throwback Movie Endorsement: Pretty in Pink

“ I just want them to know that they didn't break me.”

-Pretty in Pink, 1983

Andie Walsh (Molly Ringwald) is a hard working teenage girl with big dreams and modest pockets, caught between her unmotivated and unemployed father(Harry Dean Stanton), awkwardly cute best friend (Jon Cryer), and guilty-pleasure crush (Andrew McCarthy). Yes, this is a teen movie. And yes, it is one of the better ones.

Photo credit: new-slang.com

Though the movie is literally stuck in the 80s, Andie is just like any other teenage girl today: she is trying to find her fit, make her way, and find love on the journey. What I love about it is that it can still make me smile, and swoon, and cringe, though they say things like “just watching some toons.” Another thing is that the movie is actually really motivating. Andie is a self-starter and she’s independent, but she still conceals teenage insecurities. She’s very empowered and very witty, but she still wants what we all want: to be happy and in love, and hopefully happy in love.

Teenager-aimed films are still trying to recreate that Pretty In Pink feel that was perfected decades ago in the 80’s. Molly Ringwald was the teen-queen and there just really isn’t a modern Molly Ringwald to be found.

John Hughes had an amazing way of invading the teenage mind, and somehow his ability was timeless. Or maybe our problems just haven’t really changed much. This may not be the best film ever written and shot, but it is a teen comedy and romance that kind of makes you long for the days before High School Musical. Any cheesiness should be forgiven for one simple reason: it was the 80s, bro.

The 2011 Oscars

Hey Everyone.

Well lets make this short, sweet, and to the point.

First things first, the Oscars, in my opinion, were kind of snooze inducing.

James Franco was kind of a letdown, he didn't really look as if he wanted to be there at all. And I LOVE James Franco. Anne Hathaway, on the other hand, was exactly as I expected her to be. Over the top and slightly unfunny, though she looked amazing.

The highlights had to be the intro montage with Hathaway, Franco, Morgan Freeman, and Alec Baldwin, Billy Crystal, and everything Kirk Douglas said. Yes, Kirk Douglas upstaged James Franco and at some points I could barely understand what he was saying. Somehow, that didn't stop it from being really funny.

As for the winners, I think everything was well deserved. I've seen the Social Network, True Grit, Black Swan, Inception, The Kings Speech, and Toy Story 3. Though I haven't seen the others, I felt The Kings Speech really deserved its reward for best picture, and it isn't just because I believe Colin Firth is dreamy and Helena Bonham Carter is amazing. The film was really inspiring, funny, and touching. The Social Network was, as well and Black Swan was haunting enough to make me go see it twice not being able to fully release my grip on her statement "I was perfect."

All in all, I think there was some stiff competition, and I am looking forward to the rest of 2011 to see exactly who will end up with a little golden statue next year. Also, better, funnier, less stage-frightened hosts.

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