The Hangover... (2009)

I think almost everyone will at least once in their lifetime be subject to a bit of memory loss after a big night out. Well for these four men, the bucks night in Las Vegas was probably not such a good idea two days before the wedding.

This comedy is based on the search for the groom who goes missing after their hectic night in Vegas. Although the groomsmen do not realise at first the extent of the consequences due to their celebrations. However, they are aware it wasn’t the average boys night out when they wake to find a tiger in their hotel villa bathroom and a crying baby in one of their cupboards.

The three groomsmen attempt to retrace their steps in order to find their missing buddy and groom before the rapidly approaching wedding, leading to the hilarious realizations that they are in way over their heads, in particular with the local police.  The previous nights events come out of the closet revealing the bizarre situations they had been in, from hijacking a police vehicle, marrying a stripper, trespassing, abducting a tiger and stealing from a casino are just some of their exploits they get involved in.

The hangover, is not just another comedy but is refreshingly different and funny. I would recommend this movie to viewers who enjoy a good laugh, but  I would also suggest it only to those willing to endure some crude behaviour. I would rate this 4 out 5 for its originality and general entertainment.  

image reference link: http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://blog.80millionmoviesfree.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/the-hangover.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blog.80millionmoviesfree.com/in-theaters/the-hangover-trailer-2009-lets-start-the-party-tonight&usg=__TDFQ0_4tyIbWghQ5cumdhv1ejxc=&h=755&w=490&sz=86&hl=en&start=2&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=vFzk06fsHujgiM:&tbnh=142&tbnw=92&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dthe%2Bhangover%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3Disch:1

The legend of 1900

http://www.impawards.com/1999/legend_of_nineteen_hundred.html

The story unfolds as a series of flashbacks told by a man named Max, a passionate trumpet player, when he visited an English pawn shop to sell his trumpet. The actor is a unique man who never set foot upon dry land. It begins in the year 1900, when an engine room worker finds an abandoned baby on board. He names the child Danny Boodman T.D. Lemon 1900; 1900 for short, and decides to adopt him as his own. 1900 is a true orphan. He knows nothing about his parents or his past. The ship is the only thing he knows. At a young age, 1900 became a piano prodigy. His music has been described as “that's never been heard before”. As word of his talent spreads, he soon attracts the attention of record producers, publicists, and even Jelly Roll Morton, the father of Jazz, who wants to challenge the prodigy to a piano duel. However, despite being on the verge of fame and fortune, 1900 lives a lonely existence, having never set foot off the ship throughout his life. Max is his only friend. Through the character of 1900, Tornatore (the director) explores the immigrant experience, the fear of change within all of us, and how some of us find the courage to overcome such fears. This is a story told in the Tornatore tradition that explores the simple emotions of day-to-day experience. It’s not about inspiring, living in a positive way and facing fears with courage, it shows more direct concern on change and fears themselves. While all people are struggling to deal with living and life, they conquer as much fears and pains as possible just because they have to, it’s the real emotion and fears from 1900 that touched me. He’s afraid of change, and then he chooses to stay, throughout his life. When we enjoy the music made by the amazing hands, think of his lonely life, isn’t it the pure life that touches us. The courage to avoid change and fears is more precious than to face it.

Elegy... (2008)

http://www.firstshowing.net/img/elegy-poster-big.jpg

Tolstoy said the biggest surprise in a man’s life is old age. David Kapesh, the actor, is a man getting old, who fell in love with one of his students-- Consuela Castillo, a Cuban girl that is 30 years younger than him. She was different; her posture was perfect, and dressed like a young associate of a prestigious law firm. There was a sophistication that set her apart. It’s something about her that invites a kind of formality.

Their relationship begins after her graduation. He throws a cocktail party for the class and during this time, they begin to talk with each other and are obviously into each other.

His whole life was dedicated to independence, and at some cost he had achieved his goal. Nevertheless, it was in this relationship, that his terrible jealousy was born, he acts like a youth, cares about everything with her and lacks of sense of security. He feels anxious unless he speaks to her on the phone every day, and then he fells anxious after they’ve spoken. Also he realized that he would never, ever, really possess her. He thinks it’s only a matter of time before a young man found her and took her away. These are all come from the huge 30 years differences.

George, his best and seems the only friend suggests that he has to leave her; his hands will always be tied by this girl. At the first time, he doesn’t believe in her totally, he will check on her if she goes out with someone else, he will be deformed if she’s not with him, but love is the thing that can’t be controlled and affected easily. He conquered his fears, worries and uncertainty, although his best friend said no. They had a good time for over a year.

It was a real roller coaster ride. And like all rides, sooner or later, it has to end. When Consuela asked him to go to her graduation party for achieving MFA, his fears come back again. He can’t face her relatives, can’t bear to be judged, and can’t think about it even. He didn’t go but he said yes when she asked. They break up.

The death of George during this time makes his life tougher and hopeless. It took 2 years but he finally got past the death of George, he even accepted the loss of Consuela. He recovered his equilibrium and independence. But who is he kidding? Right before the New Year, Consuela called him, told him a terrible news that she got breast cancer. It is her cancer that make him feel that he can’t loss her again, but for Consuela, it’s a way to say goodbye, while this time, he didn’t leave. “I’m here” he said.

Speak of love, there is always something that we feel afraid: age, gender, nationality, personality, occupation, poor or rich, whether disability or not, etc. but after a long time, when we still have a chance to turn back, we’ll find that there is no thing we need to afraid of, it is the one that can give us the courage to conquer everything, as long as there is a chance.  

She's the Man (2006)

"Did I just read 'She's the Man' as the title of this blog? But wait, wasn't this movie made in like, 2006, meaning that its an 'old' movie?'

Yes you got that right. 'She's the Man' may not be the latest Box Office release but after re-visiting this movie last Saturday I felt that this movie just simply can't be ignored. It's charming humour and its 'complicated simplistic' plot says a 'good night out' with your friends in every dialogue and scene.

Viola Hasting (Amanda Bynes) learns the harsh truth that her school had removed the girls soccer team of their curriculum. In learning that the boys in her school wont give Viola's team a chance either, Viola decides to dress up as her twin brother Sebastian Hasting (James Kirk) and join her brother's school's soccer team.

As if that wasn't difficult enough, Viola also had the problem of having the high school hottie Olivia (Laura Ramsey) falling in love with Viola and having Viola falling in love with her absolute dream hunk Duke Orsena (Channing Tatum).

Romance, humour and a bit of nudity (shouldn't that excite you) I give this movie a rating of 5/5 for its emotional offering of giving you sound memories of a good night out with your friends.

image reference link: http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://watchoutmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/shes-the-man.jpg&imgrefurl=http://watchoutmovies.com/watch-she%25E2%2580%2599s-the-man-2006/&usg=__9PZqNggHMHDL_B3c7H0cTZCqYW4=&h=400&w=290&sz=45&hl=en&start=3&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=IdqYhLsoARICZM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=90&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dshe%2527s%2Bthe%2Bman%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1

The Young Victoria... (2009)

This 2009 film, was extremely captivating and provided a unique atmosphere that recreated this particular era in history. It provided insights into the early years of the Young Victoria’s reign as Queen of England and her growing passion and love for Albert.

The protagonist Queen Victoria played by Emily Blunt does an excellent job in getting into her character and communicating with her audiences the troublesome situations she is placed in. Her actions are constantly under criticism especially due to their influence by Lord Melbourne who is disliked by the people, with the assistance of her husband Albert, Victoria is able to reinforce her position as Queen and win back popularity.

This film, is great if you have interests in history and drama, however you are needed to maintain concentration in order to follow and comprehend the intricate details that are highly significant.

I would rate this film 3 out 5, on the basis that I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone as it would not be of keen interest to the majority of people. Its selected audience though would thoroughly enjoy this movie. 

image reference link: http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://blogpipiatbingi.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Watch-The-Young-Victoria-Free.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blogpipiatbingi.com/watch-young-victoria-free-online-stream/&usg=__g-tTjJdjbzn43IqkSHNu9dzk4UI=&h=755&w=529&sz=112&hl=en&start=2&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=3AbgHdpfVp-x2M:&tbnh=142&tbnw=99&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dthe%2Byoung%2Bvictoria%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3Disch:1

The Date-Rule ... (1999)

Who knew that hating someone so bad could feel sooooo good.

With so many movies out and about. I couldn’t but feel lost... indecisive was clearly decipherable on my face.

Walking towards the cinema a sudden flash hit my eyes, ‘10 Things I Hate About You’, I began to read off the cinema board. I couldn’t believe it. Could this be the one? We all decided to watch it. Huffing and puffing as I ran up the stairs and slowly entering the cinema doors. I could feel the adrenaline moving through my veins and at any given moment I was ready to break. With so much excitement rushing inside of me, a sudden fear also consumed me. A dozen of doubtful questions began entering into my head. What if this isn’t the ONE?

As the curtains began expanding, the advertisements stopped playing, the bright lights became dark as knights, and the boisterous crowd sat silent like mice. This was it; this was the moment where all my doubtful questions would be answered.   

After viewing the opening credits, listening to the non-diagetic music and observing every detail. My eyes widened and my mouth just dropped. I was lost with words. Never before has a movie been more active and attention grabbing.

With references to the classic Shakespeare play "The Taming of the Shrew". The ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ movie was set in a modern day high school, whereby freshman Cameron (Joseph Gorden- Lewit) instantly falls for pretty, shallow Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) but she’s in love with cool, egocentric Joey. With Bianca being forbidden to date -with the only exception if her sister Kat does (showing no inclination to date). It leaves Cameron with only one solution and that is… finding Kat a date.    

In an attempt to win her heart and get the girl, Cameron is determined to do what ever he can, even if it kills him. Singling out the mysterious bad- boy (Heath Ledger) for Kat should be no problem right? Or is it? This comedy film is a wildly entertaining look at exactly how far some guys go to get a date!

The smart, wry wit, and sharp dialogue are certainly key ingredients, and one of the reasons why ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ succeeds.

Described as “funny” and “uproarious” by many.  I give this movie a rating of 4.0 out 5 for being “devilishly entertaining.” This all in one movie is perfect for viewers wanting a touch of comedy, a pinch of romance and splat of drama.

Running time: 97 min

Directed by:   Gil Junger

Starring:        Julia Stiles
                      Heath Ledger
                      Joseph Gordon-Levitt
                      Larisa Oleynik

Genre:          Comedy

image reference link: http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://imtdb.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/ten_things_i_hate_about_you_2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://imtdb.com/watch-10-things-i-hate-about-you-online/&usg=__t2JXNqj6HtHtZ8uDnDgS3jUVEYA=&h=720&w=536&sz=88&hl=en&start=3&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=zWNa0Lnk0o_92M:&tbnh=140&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dten%2Bthings%2Bi%2Bhate%2Babout%2Byou%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3Disch:1

Tomorrow when the war began... (2010)

Australia’s film blockbuster?

This film was based on John Marsden's 'Tomorrow" book series, and stayed fairly true to the facts and events that occurred in the books. However, it does not necessarily stick to just the first book, as there are elements of the first and second novels within the film.

The film started off a bit slow but soon had increasing momentum as the characters began to realise position they were in and the action could begin. While a group of teenagers were on their camping trip their little town of Wirrawee had become invaded by an unknown foreign military party. As the story unfolds, the seven teenagers are faced with horrendous situations and responsibilities. Their confronting choices test their wills to survive versus their ability to commit murderous activities. The plot itself is very captivating and the film both engaged and provided sound entertainment.

Overall the film had well established characters and the graphics were well accomplished; especially the scenes with the oil tanker truck and Lee’s rescue. The Aussie accent was very obvious and the colloquial expressions were also very effective and not overbearing. The film also provides an outlook on rural and isolated locations of Australia that also highlight another facet of our diverse landscape. The film seemed to be able to fit quite a lot of actions and at times romance into an acceptable length of time without leaving the audience feeling bored.

Although when I viewed this film, the movie theatre was not anywhere near half its capacity, the film itself seemed to be awarded positive criticism and remarks from those around me. I would give this film 4/5 and I look forward to seeing the next film that corresponds with the Marsden’s book series.

image reference link: http://indiegeniusprod.com/BestMoviesEver/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/tomorrow-when-the-war-began-best-movies-ever.jpg

blog design

The title moViewers was chosen on the basis of our selected area of study which is criticising movies. We are the movie viewers hence corresponds with the title selected. We took a unique approach on the titles name using play on words in order be unique, which is another endeavour for our blog.

We also decided to choose the Watermark background by Josh Peterson for its simplistic but effective design. The colour chosen is a tan colour in order to maintain the viewer’s attention, avoiding the overbearing of colours and therefore is much easier to navigate through and for the acquisition of information.

We may place a film reel as a logo, but the title itself does what we would like. Our general theme for the blog is to provide critical reviews for a diverse range of movies, from action to drama. We will aim to do a different type of film each review in order to accommodate for all movie viewers and their alternate love for dissimilar genres.

Oh My Avatar I Have Been Transformed... (2009)

Not for one second would you have been able to convince me that the movie 'Avatar' would have been the next blockbuster hit. To me it was just another testosterone driven, action packed movie that had a sense of red illumination through out the movie caused by the blood and gore the movie possesses. 

image reference link :http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUEpjcIAwMDJsrg1Nymke9-BZReqLDqg_MMvIZA8yaW8gTu3F1QOPzQt8itAvKjJ7r_QsH5ouA7Ed9-hBEHGeG5KICutL2NSniQ12sYILjupXgIOzNB1_fkFSgxMkvUPFEATT9svgXwI/s1600/avatar.jpg&imgrefurl=http://euangelizomai.blogspot.com/2010/08/film-theology-avatar.html&usg=__9DZ3C0eEu7zBT8YAWoPNRo9TXnY=&h=733&w=490&sz=106&hl=en&start=4&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=oHvqhw_PXRYZJM:&tbnh=141&tbnw=94&prev=/images%3Fq%3DAvatar%2Bfilm%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1

But all the same I was dragged to this insanity that people were slowly starting to worship. I painstakingly paid my $21 for the movie and sat down preparing myself for the worst 3 hour of my life. Crunching and munching away on my pop corn, I watched the opening credits roll and prepared for the worst.

However, by the end of the three hours (yes I survived!) a handful of 'I-told-you-so' looks were piercing through my overtly bashful face as I regretfully had the look of pure enjoyment. Hide as I may try, I found that it was difficult to hide the emotions that was building up in me after watching the epic film.

Who would've known that a paraplegic man by the name of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) could have touched  the hearts of the natives who detested even the name of humans and even fall in love with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). And if that wasn't emotional enough, the fight for the precious material within the native land enriches a heart throbbing story that leaves all in a state of tears.

A bit of love a bit of romance and a bit of action packed galore, I give this movie a rating of 4.5 out 5 for its 3 hour epic journey that leaves no ones eye lashes meeting together through out the film.