Pineapple Express

Pineapple Express (2008)

When I first heard about Pineapple Express, I doubted it right away. An action comedy directed by David Gordon Green, the guy who gave us George Washington and Snow Angels? No way in hell could this keep me entertained from beginning to end! But then again you can't judge a book by its cover and oh Christ, once you get past this book's cover, it's all uphill. Forget about everything you've seen Seth Rogan in and prepare yourself for the role he was born to play. A STONER.

Consider the comedic talent that conceived this story: Judd Apatow, Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogan. Furthermore, take into account that most of the Apatow-related productions are seriously demented comedies that are right up my alley: Anchorman, Knocked Up, Drillbit Taylor, Superbad, etc. Apatow's crew keeps a pretty good average at the plate and very few of his projects have been panned by the media (except Talladega Nights, which sucked more than the average socialite). Rogan and his friends constitute the newest "Pack" incarnation, name them as you will, but they are quickly replacing Ben Stiller's "Frat Pack" as the funniest actors in town. Pineapple Express seals its position as the best comedy of the year, if not the bloody decade, and it should be considered alongside Lethal Weapon and Beverley Hills Cop as the best action comedies of our generation.

What makes Pineapple Express truly special isn't the (particularly unoriginal) story, but rather its ability to capture the authenticity of a mundane conversation between friends and turn it into something hilarious, in the same vein that Knocked Up and Superbad were able to do (once again due to Rogan). Since recounting his sidesplitting, first-hand depiction of a woman being penetrated by a horse in The 40-year old Virgin, Seth Rogan has carved his own special kind of writing niche and has demonstrated that stagnating punch lines and over the top humor are a thing of the past. Proof of which is Will Ferrell's rapid decline in popularity amongst the 25-34 crowd that watch his movies. Pineapple's dialogue shies away from the generic, elaborate progression that leads to a joke and focuses on the moment itself, or rather the improvisation that comes with it. Whether it's a facial expression, a gesture off camera or a silly question, the give and go between characters is legendary. A man trying to buzz his way into an apartment building has never made me laugh before, but these guys pulled it off.

Furthermore, while the amount of swearing borders the thousand-mark, it is extremely appreciated, considering the childish ratings that other so-called ‘raunchy' comedies are stuck with. Finally, a studio that knows when to give complete helm to its writers and just let them go wild. Rogan's experience writing for Da Ali G show and Superbad shines in just about every scene.

At the core, this movie is about friendship and the limits to which they can be subjected to. Rogan and Franco are so in tune with each other that it would have been interesting to see them interact between takes, considering that Apatow-lead movies never really stop filming, a practice with the intention of promoting improvisation throughout the movie. Both Knocked Up and Superbad produced well over a million feet of tape, a feat which had hitherto been unheard of for comedies.

From the opening scene that includes a fantastic cameo by Thomas Haden Church until the final coffee shop exchange, you'd be hard pressed to find a single flaw in this movie. Best of all is the culmination of action scenes that reaches a fever pitch towards the very end, one that leaves you breathless and hoping for just a little bit more....until we get it, in true Rogan style. You'll know when you see it.

I'll be looking forward to next year's Rogan-Goldberg collaboration entitled "Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse", the teaser trailer for which has already been available on YouTube for the past year or so. Can Hollywood's new comedy kings reproduce the magic and absolute genius in Pineapple Express? Based on what we have so far, I'd think so!

Myles Dolphin

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

I must admit right off the bat that I'm disappointed by the crop of superhero movies I've seen this summer. Originally, I wanted to see all six of them but that soon changed once I saw Iron Man. It left me severely unsatisfied while The Incredible Hulk just barely fed my cravings for ultra-violence. What else awaited me? Hancock and Wanted. I didn't need to see those, thank you, and I crossed my fingers for a Hellboy sequel that would knock my dirty socks off.

My socks were on quite tightly in anticipation of seeing Bid Red once again. I knew it would take something special to impress me, as sequels don't usually make it into my favorite DVDs, yet I reserved a special kind of hope for this one, having enjoyed the first Hellboy back in 2004. What bothered me most this time around is the fact that we, the viewers, are repeatedly patronized by the movie studios. Each sequel gives us the same treatment: develop the love story, make it seem like the main character will die by the end of the movie and throw in a couple lame gags for the lower-IQ crowd. Some of us have actually seen a lot of movies and we're fed up with this generic garbage! But hey, if it's a success at the box office, why stop there? Let's make 8 of them!

Ok, that was a little harsh. The story wasn't that bad, keeping in mind that most comic book adaptations are a lot worse (Superman 3 anyone?). We're subjected to the developments between Liz and Hellboy, and although it holds no significant importance to the grandeur of the movie, it does provide a few chuckles, as well as a juicy hint about another sequel.

The real reason we paid $12 to see this movie is to witness Hellboy destroy everything in sight, either with his gargantuan fist or his weapons. The real highlight in this movie, however, is the attention to detail. Guillermo Del Toro paints his prettiest canvas yet by creating the most visually stunning movie since Pan's Labyrinth. The screen oozes with color and grandiosity, bringing us tantalizingly close to the myriad of characters Hellboy meets. The scene where he ventures into the troll market remains particularly vibrant in my mind. I was easily glued to the screen the entire time, trying to register every little detail that was projected back to me. Del Toro's gutsy approach to filming and cinematography is one that more directors should employ.

So the entire premise is rather clichéd. Nothing here that hasn't been told before. Yet by using the best visual elements from Pan's Labyrinth, Del Toro stays true to the genre and entertains us to the end with an eclectic cast and creative action sequences. The success of the franchise will undoubtedly produce a third movie but a warning to anyone who hasn't seen this yet: don't expect the unexpected. Go in with a fresh mind, without expectations and you should thoroughly enjoy yourself.

Myles Dolphin

Michael Clayton

Michael Clayton

8.5/10

We’ve had plenty of legal thrillers in the last few years. They all seem to be decently made, but not original. Well acted, but not Oscar worthy. Entertaining, but not insightful. But Tony Gilroy’s Michael Clayton gives the genre a kick in the ass and manages to be original, feature Oscar-worthy performances and be insightful!

In case you haven’t heard of this film. I’ll give a rundown of the plot. The title character Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is a “fixer” for a respected law firm in New York City. His life is not too great. His job makes him feel like a janitor but he can’t really do anything about it. Suddenly his mentor, Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) goes insane while working n a settlement on a class action suit towards an environmental product company hat sold a ”deadly weed whacker”. Michael is brought in to help “fix” this but he comes to understand the conclusions that Arthur was getting at.

Michael Clayton grabs your attention from the beginning with an amazing monologue from Tom Wilkinson and never lets go during it’s two hour runtime. Writer/Director Tony Gilroy brilliantly plots the film and makes us care for the characters. Helping it become an amazingly engrossing experience. And like I said, this film is insightful. It has fully developed themes and a message that is universal. With having an evironmental company be the “bad guys” you can see some opportunities for some social commentary on our treatment of the earth. There is some subtle development of these ideas but they never weigh down the film. A wise move. It wouldn’t have worked making this An Inconvenient Truth 2 : The Quickening.

I highly recommend this film. It’s worth the ticket price for Tom Wilkinson’s performance.

Ethaniel Vestby

Incredible Hulk

Going Green

A
The Incredible Hulk
Directed by Louis Leterrier
Universal Pictures / Marvel Studios

With the release of Iron Man, Marvel Comics began a renewed endeavor to create a film equivalent of their vast comic universe, establishing not only the titular mechanized hero but also the beginnings of The Avengers (who have their own movie due out in the future, along with Captain America and Thor). Of course, this isn't the first time Marvel characters have been portrayed onscreen - Spider-Man and the X-Men have gotten three movies each already, along with The Punisher and other relative b-listers. In those series, however, there was no attempt to broaden the scope to include other segments of the Marvel universe - perhaps the tentative fourth installments will change that.

The Incredible Hulk seeks to fold the green giant into Marvel's newfound film universe - and to do so it must erase all trace of Ang Lee's 2003 Hulk movie, which starred Eric Bana and Jennifer Connelly as Bruce Banner and Betty Ross. In that rendition, which acted as an "origin story" as practically all inaugural superhero movies do, Banner/Hulk fought not only the military, but also his nefarious father, played by an insanely over-the-top Nick Nolte, acting as both Freudian supervillain and high-powered hobo. It didn't always work, particularly in its awkward climactic "battle," and many griped about the CGI work, but it's still a richer, more interesting establishing film than, say, the first X-Men, and its editing style, which mimicked the panel-based layout of comics with frequent split-screen imagery, was frequently novel. Nevertheless, its heavy dramatic leanings and strange climax were enough to put off many comic fans, and a relaunch was set in place.

Leterrier's film wisely skips the "origin" portion, showing the initial transformation only obliquely during the credits before skipping five months ahead to find Banner, this time played by a brooding Edward Norton, hiding away in a Brazilian slum before a freak occurrence catches the eye of the encroaching U.S. military, who seek (as ever) to use Banner's DNA as the basis for a new line of genetically enhanced soldiers. As in the first film, Banner is pursued by devoted militarist General Ross (William Hurt), whose daughter Betty (Liv Tyler) is Banner's old flame, as well as mercenary soldier Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth, seemingly delighted to be free of Haneke guilt-land), whose desire to overcome Banner's monstrous alter-ego results in the film's eventual climax.

Much about the movie is workmanlike - Norton's low-key performance as a mostly resigned Banner is fairly dull, Tyler is given a much more perfunctory role than Connelly received as his love interest, and a surprising lack of improvement in the realm of CGI. Half a decade has passed since Lee's Hulk, but the monster himself isn't much improved - while his body is fairly detailed, there is less of an attempt to physically connect Norton with his converted form than in the previous film, which makes it harder to empathize with either figure. While Norton at least seems passionate about the material (despite his miscasting), Hurt seems to be here for the paycheck - disappointing given Sam Elliott's pulpy portrayal of the same character. Of course, most comics fans will want simply to know whether the action sequences are improved. The answer is...yes and no. The film's action highlight is a sequence set in daylight in which Blonsky and a host of military gadgets face off against the Hulk on a university campus, with hunks of metallic viscera flying about - and a delightfully brutal punchline. Unfortunately the CGI-driven brawl that concludes the film feels just as tossed off as the previous film's metaphysical "power bubble" felt hokey. The film isn't much better at reaching a lighter tone than Lee's did, either, with much of the film taking place in darkness, and the rare attempts at humor generally less than convincing - there's a particularly forced exchange between Norton and Tyler about anger management.

For Marvel, however, the movie does precisely what it's supposed to - it sets up the viewer for a widening universe to come, and is careful to incorporate far more of the comic's trademarks than Lee's film did. While that's meant to be a tantalizing prospect, The Incredible Hulk indicates that Marvel is keen on playing it safe when it comes to their newfound enterprises. In comics, any number of story tangents can be followed thanks to an endless number of spin-offs and reboots, but Marvel is hedging its bets here by seemingly creating a largely by-the-numbers megafranchise. After all, they need to keep the fans happy if they don't want to keep re-establishing their heroes every five years, and that means not ruffling any more feathers. It's telling that their biggest gamble so far - the unorthodox casting of Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man - has also been their ace in the hole. With its simplified themes and uncluttered action, this new Hulk will likely appease comic fans, but moviegoers may be left cold in the coming years if it's representative of the studio's overall direction.

Simon

Mamet's machines (Redbelt review)

Redbelt
Sony Pictures Classics, 2008
Directed by David Mamet

Can a film fail to relate huge swathes of plot and still succeed? David Mamet’s incoherent but tersely thrilling Redbelt certainly seems to operate that way. Jiu-Jitsu instructor Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor) lives by a strict Samurai code of ethics, often to the chagrin of his wife Sondra (Alice Braga), who runs a fabrics business that helps to fund Mike’s struggling gym. While instructing cop buddy Joe (The Unit’s Max Martini), a distraught, pill-popping lawyer (a note-perfect Emily Mortimer) shoots out the gym’s front window. This kickstarts a series of events too labyrinthine to describe here, involving the aforementioned players, an aging action star (Tim Allen), mixed-martial-arts fight promoters (Joe Mantegna and Ricky Jay), and Sondra’s extended family of shady Argentineans.

While Mamet is principally known for his Nobel-winning Glengarry Glen Ross, his recent work on films like Val Kilmer vehicle Spartan and television’s The Unit has been marked by a reliance on tough-guy clichés and lackluster attempts to substitute his trademark rat-a-tat dialogue style with thick plotting. Redbelt sees him not necessarily rectifying these issues, but at least making something deeply entertaining out of his recent fixations. It helps that he’s enlisted a few reliable scene-chewers, especially Jay and Mantegna, as well as a restrained, bitter Allen, far removed from his cuddly Disney persona. The dialogue itself is largely unmemorable, but it’s delivered with such infectious gusto (aided by Barbara Tulliver’s nimble editing) that even the film’s most nonsensical plot contortions seem, if not natural, then at least necessary. Much of the film lies squarely on Ejiofor’s shoulders, however, and he performs on a tightrope for much of its duration, having to negotiate his character’s stubborn insistence on archaic wisdom with his need for basic human pride – all while working within the script’s absurdly amorphous machinations. Even as the film succumbs to its tiresome Samurai mysticism in the worst way possible in its final moments, Ejiofor’s troubled face grounds the film in a certain reality, if not our own.

Simon Howell

The Strangers

The Strangers
Directed by Bryan Bertino
Rogue/Universal

There's a war of approach currently being waged in the field of mainstream American horror. On one hand you've got the "more is more" contingent, made up of "torture porn" progenitors Eli Roth (Hostel) and the Saw series, as well as Rob Zombie's retro gorefests (House of 1000 Corpses, the cred-busting Halloween remake). On the other sits the small but significant movement towards no-frills horror more or less grounded in reality - last year's Vacancy, while only fitfully effective, springs to mind, and so does The Strangers, a movie so doggedly minimal that one senses the screenplay could fit in your pocket.

The film opens with its most unusual set of decisions: a stern voice mentioning the frequency of violent crimes in America, and mentioning the story's (dubious) ties to a specific real-life incident. The film's opening scene skips to the end, showing us the viscera and destruction in and around the home where Kristen McKay (Liv Tyler) and James Hoyt (Scott Speedman) will spend the next 80 minutes getting terrorized by a masked trio of remorseless invaders. Following this peculiar opening (which serves to dampen the film with a sense of inevitability, cutting strongly against the post-Sixth Sense "twist ending" trend) we get the obligatory 20-minute opening to inform us of the strained relationship between our protagonists and to familiarize ourselves with their environment. Tyler and Speedman do a fairly good job of communicating the unspoken history they share, although given the circumstances surrounding the tension between them (Tyler quietly rejected his offer of marriage earlier in the evening), their interactions evoke too much comfort and not enough caution. The film misses a major opportunity here, in that it could have used this setup to explore the tension between them, but instead (as expected) their bonds simply heal themselves as a result of the ensuing terror.

To Bertino's credit, however, some of his decisions (as director and screenwriter) are bracingly original; the film's greatest innovation by far lies in its unorthodox treatment of the folk and country music that intermittently plays from the couple's gramophone. The film's most effective moment comes with a tense confrontation involving a gun, an axe, a piano, and Joanna Newsom's "The Sprout and the Bean." The scene mines the sonic tension in Newsom's double-tracked vocals ("should we go outside?") and spare harp plucking. Another scene memorably milks the Appalachian harmonies and odd intervals that characterize Gillian Welch's Time: The Revelator by looping two seconds ("quicksilver girl") from "My First Lover" for what feels, briefly, like an eternity. The soundtrack represents another categorical rejection of the heavy-metal excess that has pervaded recent horror (see: the soundtracks for the Saw movies). The film also contains the longest stretches of silence and inaction seen in a major American horror film in a long time, making good use of ambient noise and shadows (never more effective than the moment in which the bag-headed intruder slowly emerges behind Tyler in the kitchen, as unfortunately revealed in some of the film's posters).

Bertino shows his weaknesses as a filmmaker when he distrusts elements he has already established; the decision to separate the lovers for much of the film's last half-hour both robs the film of its only real character interactions and feels maddeningly improbable. He also doesn't shy away from two major horror movie tropes: a character intoning that they'll "be right back" as a harbinger of doom, and a highly questionable final shot that rings hollow with familiarity and cheapens the film's opening gambit. Until that moment, The Strangers feels like something very strange indeed: a horror movie with an argument. That phrase of course brings to mind Michael Haneke's Funny Games, a considerably more brutal film that essentially acted as a movie-length guilt trip on the nature of entertainment. The Strangers, on the other hand, is unconcerned with the nature of film, instead serving to emphasize the ordinary nature of the crimes on display - underlined by the decision to stage the ritualistic carnage that takes place near the film's end in the full brightness of morning, punctuated with barren shots of the surrounding countryside. Bertino's debut turns out to be a deeply flawed one that only communicates that one idea effectively, but that puts it ahead of some of his contemporaries, most of whom (Haneke included, given his masturbatory shot-for-shot "U.S." remake of Funny Games) feel the need to stretch out their one idea over the course of several films. It remains to be seen if Bertino's small, but welcome eccentricities will prevail in future endeavors or if he'll fall prey to the self-cannibalization that has characterized the genre's other recent would-be auteurs.

Simon Howell

Repo! The Genetic Opera

Repo! The Genetic Opera

Dir. Darren Lynn Bousman

Fewer words, I imagine, strike greater fear in the minds of audiences and producers alike when the words "passion project" are thrown around. After helming three straight Saw sequels, long-suffering director Darren Lynn Bousman finally gets to cut loose creatively with his gory rock opera Repo, which evolved from a series of quickie stage improvisations courtesy of the film's writer/composers, Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich. Unfortunately, the film turns out to be more Across the Universe than Hedwig and the Angry Inch, eager to please but ultimately less than enjoyable for anyone not a devout enthusiast of its chosen musical framing – except in this case, it's a nostalgia-fest for turn-of-the-90's goths instead of baby boomers.

Bousman, to his credit, assembled an intriguing cast: Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Anothny Stewart Head (a stage veteran who's also appeared as Frank n' Furter in Rocky Horror), Spy Kids star Alexa Vega, elevator-music superstar Sarah Brightman, renowned character actor Paul Sorvino (Law and Order, Goodfellas), horror vet Bill Moseley, and, in a shrewd bit of meta-casting, tabloid magnet Paris Hilton. In much the same manner that reading the cast list seems to create a logic fissure in the universe, the film's disparate elements never coalesce into anything coherent. Ostensibly an elaborate comment on consumer society and celebrity obsession, Repo seems to serve mainly as a hyperactive springboard for a filmmaker overeager to prove his uniqueness.

Set in a cartoonishly grim future, Repo revolves principally around Nathan (Head), a "repo man" who impolitely collects organs from hapless citizens on behalf of GeneCo (led by Sorvino's sinister, dying Rotti), a massive conglomerate that swooped in to commodify healthy organs following a deadly epidemic of organ failures. His daughter, Shilo (Vega), is ill with the blood disease that claimed her mother, and is kept in unwilling sanctuary in his home. Meanwhile, Rotti's offspring (Moseley, Hilton and Skinny Puppy's Nivek Ogre) bicker, in an obvious nod to King Lear, over which one will inherit their decaying father's empire. Oh, and somewhere in the mix there's also Mag (Brightman), a celebrity singer with GeneCo-implanted holographic eyes who's trapped in a dead-end contract.

If the plot seems needlessly dense, that's because it is, and the film is crippled at the outset by its ludicrous number of characters and plot threads, never to recover. This undercuts both the plot's coherency – already tenuous at the outset – and the integrity of the performances proffered by its diverse cast. Particularly wasted is Moseley, who brings his character to slyly sadistic life, but doesn't get much chance to develop in his eight or so minutes of screen time. Others get shoehorned into thankless roles – Vega, who has Broadway experience and shows evidence of being a capable performer, is saddled with a bratty, shrill heroine, and Sorvino, as the film's principal villain, is never able to find a consistent tone either of internal anguish or righteous indignation, largely because he's provided with a few too many motivations relating to nearly every other character. The supporting cast is uniformly competent – including the widely reviled Hilton – but none besides Mosely leave much of an impression. Head's "repo man" suffers most - his character enjoys his grisly work at some points and is disturbed by it at others, simply at the film's convenience, making him useless either as a figure of scorn or sympathy.

Smith and Zdunich don't only botch the film's plotting but also its densely arranged musical score, which spends most of its time occupying a confounding space somewhere between Ministry and Evanescence that simply shouldn't exist. Occasionally, a novel vocal harmony or passably funny lyric will arise (particularly in scenes where Head and Sorvino duet), but none of the individual songs are at all memorable. There's an opportunity for redemption in the film's embrace of over-the-top satire near the film's conclusion (featuring a memorable moment where Hilton's character loses face a bit) but ultimately opts for a lame, sequel-ready non-ending. For all of the film's references and targets, its Vaseline-on-the-lens aesthetics, leaden musical numbers and generally witless approach keep it from joining the ranks of the beloved "outsider" musicals its creators so obviously worship.

Simon Howell

The Midnight Meat Train (2008)

The Midnight Meat Train (2008)

The Midnight Meat Train is based on Clive Barker's 1984 short story of the same name, which can be found in Volume One of Barker's collection Books of Blood. The film follows a photographer who attempts to track down a serial killer dubbed the "Subway Butcher" and discovers more than he bargained for under the city streets. Directed by Japan's Ryuhei Kitamura (Versus, Azumi), it stars Bradley Cooper, Roger Bart, Vinnie Jones and Brooke Shields.

Despite being the most famous horror novelist next to Stephen King, only very few films have been made from Barker's work, and three of those he actually directed. To be honest I have not been a fan of most of these films save for Candyman and Lord of Illusions. Clive Barker's Books of Blood is considered the holy grail of horror literature but the film adaptation of Midnight Meat Train is hit and miss.

I know it is based on a short story but at times the film makers seemed hard up on ideas on where to go with the film. We end up with Cooper following Vinnie Jones playing the Butcher in several scenes with many near-misses. The scenes are repetitive and lack suspense. They seem forced and it comes across as if it they are there to just stretch the film into a feature length. Overall the screenplay is solid. I appreciate that the screenwriter doesn't over explain everything and much was left to the imagination of the viewers (save for a brief explanation towards the end). You have to hand it to screenwriter Jeff Buhler for adapting a Barker story. While not perfect, it's still better than average screenplay - minus a few really cheesy one liners used here and there such as "Stay away from the meat."

The adaptation of this script was a labor of love for long-time Barker fan Jeff Buhler, who worked closely with Barker throughout the process. Their intent was to expand the world presented in the original short story while preserving the underlying mythology and themes already there. In fact both Barker and Buhler fought long and hard to retain the original title of the film, which at one point was going to be changed to "Midnight Train."

The film has a very unique look and uses a lot of blue hues. Everything seems to shine on screen yet it is also very grainy. To be put simply it is visually stunning and ambitious. Anyone who has seen Azumi would know just how well this man can shoot action - by comparison, Kill Bill's fight sequences look lame. Here he uses a perfect blend of prosthetics and CGI and the director brings some of the most inventive kills to ever hit the big screen. The kill sequences are impressive to say the least but more importantly gory and original. Unlike in the film All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, the death sequences here are clever and justify its R rating. Most of the special FX were practical, which gave the film a more believable tone. There were dead bodies hanging from the train, teeth being pulled, an intense scene in which an eyeball pops out of it's socket; and there's a fantastic kill in which a guy, hanging upside down on a meat hook, sees his reflection in a pool of his own blood.

What I didn't like was the cast. Actually I really hated the cast of this film. Bradley Cooper was just not right for the role as the main character. He held the same emotion on his face throughout the entire film. He had no range what so ever nor did Leslie Bibb who plays his girlfriend. She was even worse and I found myself hoping someone would kill off her character. Vinnie Jones plays the same mute bad guy he seems to always play, but for an ex-football player he's the only one member of the cast who truly shines. Hostel II's Roger Bart pops up in a few scenes, as does Ted Raimi, but neither gets any serious screen time. No one was worse, however, than the lady detective in this film, who makes M. Knight seem like a great actor.

It's a tricky film to recommend. I think that true fans of the original story will find themselves disappointed with the outcome but yet most fans of horror films will truly love it. I am glad I had a chance to see the world premiere, but I don't see it landing in my DVD collection anytime soon.

Jimmy D

The Eye (2008)

Review of The Eye (2008)

Few have managed to grasp horror in the intense, occasionally uncomfortable clarity of Asian filmmakers. From Korea to Japan, viewers find an unrivaled level of skin-crawling, prolonged shock value, and in this case China is no different. In 2002, the Pang brothers, two popular East Asian directors, compiled a collection of gut-wrenching images and sounds, creating their film The Eye. The Eye tells the story of an eye-transplant patient who sees the haunting that drove the former owner to an ultimate end of suicide. What follows is her attempt to free herself from the cycle of constant fear. While this movie brings to the table a story with visuals as haunting as the story it tells, what truly arrests audiences is the constant anxiety involved in its viewing. The question we encounter is whether or not the stateside remake, released in 2008, continues the trend of swelling uneasiness that the first captures so well.

The answer to that is, put quite simply, yes. This success is based largely on two factors: an Americanization of sorts to be discussed later, and that lurking unrest mentioned above. This film pushes viewers, especially those familiar with the original, into corners where expectations are shattered. Despite this, a sense of foreboding pervades the entire movie, and the images of ghosts often remain on screen for longer than is comfortable for watchers, offering a physical stirring to accompany the fright the mind experiences. Oftentimes the specters torment the viewer as much as the protagonist, Sydney Wells, played by Jessica Alba.

The aforementioned Americanization refers to the film's placement in an America-centric environment. In the Chinese version, the main character travels to the outskirts of China (presumably, though it is never directly mentioned), to a small town where the previous owner of the eyes lived and died. This locale changes to a small town in Mexico, a much more reachable environ from the US, and one in which graffiti declares "Bruja" and "Diablo" (Witch and Devil, respectively), giving the setting a more realistic feel than other movies that pit an American character in the Asian country the film originally takes place in. Another example is a scene in which a ghost attacks the protagonist for being in "her chair." In the Chinese release, this chair was a desk at which the new owner is learning at last to write in Chinese calligraphy. This is obviously something unnecessary for most Americans, and was changed in the US release.

Overall, The Eye offers a suspenseful look at the horror inherent in the ability to see, and the safety hidden behind blindness. If it suffers from any issues at all, It arises from the amount of "stuff" in the movie. It throws scare after scare at the viewer, and perhaps either an extended story or a diminished number of shocks would have done the film well. This complaint aside, it enters as one of the better horror movies of the year, if not the best, and holds down the title with a strong 8/10 from me.

Andrew Hubbard

If...

Growing up my favorite time of the week was Sunday nights, which was Disney night. At the ripe old age of 22, though, I ditched Mickey and his crummy club, looking for something more 'mature'. That is when I discovered "A Clockwork Orange", a masterpiece in surrealism and ultra-violent sexual deviancy. I instantly became a huge fan of Malcolm McDowell's devilish grin and acting prowess so I sought out his other films. Unsurprisingly, in "if…" he plays the same confrontational little bastard that would foreshadow his status as one of Britain's most coveted actors.

Upon its release, "if…" was slapped with an X certificate by the British Board of Film Censors, which did not do wonders for its success. The rating is no surprise though, since the movie deals with the radical uprising of youths in a public school. The controversial nature of the movie, which promotes revolt against autocracy, was inspired by similar events taking place in Paris. In 1968, French students and workers orchestrated a massive strike which led to a citywide clash against police. It had an enormous impact on society and created a liberal morality that had not yet been achieved in Britain.

In "if…" McDowell plays Mick Travis, an abrasive yet poetic idealist who is fed up with the stifling conformism of his boarding school (in Britain, a public school is actually a private school because it is owned by "the public" and not the government. Go figure). Through a series of vignettes Mick and his crusaders (Wally and Johnny) exemplify youth rebellion of the era by doing their best Guy Fawkes impersonations and plot to destroy the stagnant and out-dated belief system of their school. Mick says it best when dreaming of his future accomplishment: "There is no such thing as a wrong war. Violence and revolution are the only pure acts. War is the last possible creative act."

The movie really emphasizes several key themes; the importance of the individual over the institution, the right to freedom and the uprising against tradition in a country that is currently undergoing massive social reform. "if…" encapsulates the British class system and its ignorance of the revolution that is taking place outside its doors. Director Lindsay Anderson was so fond of McDowell's performance in this role that he used him two more times in the so-called "Mick Travis trilogy" comprised of "if…", "O Lucky Man!" and "Britannia Hospital". Anderson had also been inspired by the French classic "Zéro de conduite" by Jean Vigo, a surrealist depiction of a similar youth uprising. His filming technique throughout the production was a much improvised one and he was able to blend fantasy and fact in a unique way, most notably by using several black and white scenes interspersed with the colored ones towards the end of the movie. The shift in color and tint really grabs your attention and serves to prevent the visual style from being too repetitive. It becomes extremely relevant at the climactic end, when the grainy film shows Mick and his gang taking matters into their own hands and going berserk on the school's administration, its bullying prefects and even the students' parents. Quentin Tarantino would have been proud!

"if…" you are looking for a clear and definitive moral to emerge from this movie, try looking at the bigger picture itself. The important question lies in the role of activism; should its advocates be labeled as freedom fighters or terrorists? Does the ultimate blame lie on society or on the government? "One man can change the world with a bullet in the right place…" Mick's controversial mantra remains relevant to this day and so does "if…", an absolutely fantastic tribute to the rebellious sixties, the unfairness of oppression and the power of activism.

Myles Dolphin

Akambo Shojo

Akambo Shojo

This movie takes place in 1960 and is about an orphan girl that was discovered by her father after 15 years of living in an orphanage. She lives in a house that everyone is afraid of with a mysterious maid, a mentally understandable woman that is her mother and a loving father.

This movie is the type of movie that defines what is fantasia. Great horror movies that although have an obvious villain, still manage to get a rise out of everyone in the theatre.

The villain in this movie is a 15 y/o monstrosity of a baby named Timmen (horribly malformed, with one giant hand literally rips the face off a dog in this movie) . she wants so either play hide and seek with the newly reunited daughter (Yoko) or kill her because she took her room.

From the music to the camera work to the settings, everything works in this movie. Although it might not be at the level of the Ringu franchise, it is definitely a must see movie. It has very nice visuals that remind us of many American horror movie such as The shinning, chucky, rosemary's baby to name a few. And takes great elements from each to make this movie a success.

The movie shows traditional Japanese attitude, combined with great music, camera work and innocence provided by yoko to give us a great suspense movie. A must watch for sure.

Daniel Moscivici

Rating: 8/10

An Empress and a Warrior

An Empress and a Warrior

This ladies and gentlemen is why fantasia exists in my opinion. It is for awesome horror movies and great martial art epics.

This movie has fantastic visuals, great fight choreography and beautiful locals.

The story in this movie is basic. In a way Shakespearian. A boy ( Muyong) and a girl (Feier) who knew each other since they were little. Grow up to lead different lives but still very much a part of each others. Although they always love each other, they never make a move therefore nothing happens between the 2.

Enter the jealous nephew that wants to rule the kingdom (even though General Muyong received that honor), enter the foreign romantic party that rescues Princess Feire (who ended up becoming the empress) and sit back as the action and scenery take your breath away.

As a typical Chinese epic movie, cheese comes at wholesale prices. A lot of corny lines, poetry and restrained show of affection (even though the movie does contain a love scene)

The moral of the whole movie is simple. War brings only more suffering and Peace comes with too high of a price to simply stand by doing nothing.

What sets this movie as a benchmark fantasia movie is the scope of this movie. Huge armies, big sets, amazing battles and the unique touch of heroism that the Chinese warriors possess. Not to mention the serious tone this movie has. You laugh when the character acts silly and you cheer for them when they are faced with overwhelming odds.

Any fantasia fan most likely saw this movie. If not, they better have a great reason to have missed it.

Daniel Moscovici

Rating: 8.5/10

Be a man! Samurai school

Be a man! Samurai school

Just from a title alone. One definitely knows that cheesy lines and "out" there" situations.

The story revolves around a school that starts hiring people for training to become actual men. This is an extremely famous school that made unbelievable men throughout the Japanese history and seems to be a salvation for any loser that it lost or stuck or frankly needs direction. However a former student seeks to take over the school and get revenge for being expelled and the only way to go through the challenges of "the amazing triple death battle". Yes it's the actual challenge name

One can't avoid to compare this to some kind of an army propaganda video.

The director of the movie showed up at the screening of this movie. His vision is to make a nice action movie that makes you laugh. And in that aspect the director nailed it. The absurd meaning that the school will make you into a man and give you an evolved form of education such as 1x2 or 3x2 (which some of the students either got wrong or had to teach to get right)

Teaching men who don't know how to date or talk to a woman, people that under any circumstances are doomed to the life of a telemarketer under different circumstances aren't the best qualified people for any school such as the one in this movie.

However that being said, it is for the same exact reason that this movie is funny. The discipline methods in this movie at completely absurd and every moment in there make you laugh. The 2 decent fighters in this movie really do their thing well. And every other line gives you a lot to laugh about.

I can't seem to wonder... are half these lines that make us laugh are intentional? Or just cheese that the audience finds ridiculous? I hope the director intended for the first one to happen.

Overall, this movie is entertaining but so extremely cheesy that you end up maybe more laughing at the movie rather then the point that the movie is trying to make. Which is.... I have no idea. But it's a movie worth seeing in fantasia. These fans are very forgiving and appreciate this corniness but it's an easily forgettable movie.

Daniel Moscovici

Rating: 4.5/10

Wardance / Young At Heart

They Can Feel It In Their Bones

War Dance

Thinkfilm, 2007

Directed by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix

Young@Heart

Fox Searchlight, 2008

Directed by Stephen Walker

Anyone who ever found solace in any of its myriad forms can testify to the transformative powers of art, and those who do will find something to relate in two seemingly unrelated but thematically similar documentaries.

War Dance introduces us to the Acholi tribe of Northern Uganda, an ethnic group that faces unthinkable violence on a daily basis at the hands of Ugandan president Yoweri Musevini (who has frequently been compared to Uganda's more infamous despot, Idi Amin). Forced into isolated camps, the greatest burdens are carried by the group's children, many of whom have been orphaned by the killers that wait in the surrounding bush. The doc's focus, however, lies with a Uganda-wide music and dance competetition, in which the Acholi children are competing for the first time.

While the performance sections of the film are invigorating enough to keep the proceedings afloat, the approach taken by Fine and Nix in detailing the disturbing pasts of the children in question is problematic. The children are filmed detailing the incidents that most brutally exposed them to violence (one sequence in particular, in which the child must identify his murdered parents, involves nauseating levels of detail), juxtaposed with close-up footage of their pained faces. In the context of a documentary devoted to exploring issues of violence and trauma, it might have been an effective approach, but in a film centered around the childrens' efforts to advance their singing and dancing, it's instead a needlessly heavy-handed one. It doesn't help that the translated versions of their stories seem improbably eloquent.

Stephen Walker's Young @ Heart faces a similar dilemma, but negotiates a slightly better balance. Walker documents the seven-week rehearsal period of the titular octogenarian choir as they prepare for a series of sold-out concerts, run by the steady hand of choir director Bob Cilman. The obvious charm of the film's subjects first emerges as they struggle to interpret Cilman's left-field musical choices (including tracks by Sonic Youth and Talking Heads) and reveal their boundless energy in the face of looming health crises.

It's Walker himself who comes closest to derailing the film, with his often-insipid narration and irritating editing choices - from the "yee-haw" banjo music that accompanies a road-trip scene to the questionable placement of light-hearted music video sequences directly following a fairly grueling loss. Walker lacks trust in his compelling subjects to carry the film. Nevertheless, they carry it anyway, both with their charm and their fairly incredible performances. In particular, oxygen-deprived baritone Fred Knittle's lead vocal on Coldplay's "Fix You" reminds us that a gifted interpreter can transform even the most banal tune into a thing of beauty. Their group take on Sonic Youth's "Schizophrenia" is similarly revelatory, coaxing a surprising grandeur out of the original's doomed haze. It's worth the price of admission alone.

Simon Howell

AMERICAN CANNIBAL

AMERICAN CANNIBAL

I saw this purely on the basis of its name!

Have you ever had a really good idea for a movie? You told yourself “this is gold, Jerry, gold!” However when you told someone they laughed at your face and stole your metro pass? Don’t worry, it happens to everyone. Except me. Last week I shared my fantastic idea with a friend of mine (who is much smaller); it’s a reality show where people trade places with animals for a day. Wouldn’t that be something? I call it “Trading Pigsties”. Get it? I pitched it to a couple networks and although I haven’t heard from anyone since May I’m still hoping for a deal. This brings me to American Cannibal!

This documentary (some would say mockumentary) is the brainchild of Perry Grebin & Michael Nigro, who spent two and a half years silently documenting the trials and tribulations of Gil Ripley and Dave Roberts, struggling writers who were desperately trying to sell their ideas to networks around the United States. What began as a small project in 2003 to document the different stages of a TV pilot (from pitch to production) ballooned into more than 250 hours of footage and numerous questions on the truths and consequences of reality-based entertainment. Gil and Dave have some pretty good ideas, including a reality show they call “Virgin Territory”, sort of a risqué Big Brother idea. They finally get their big break when ‘porn mogul’ Kevin Blatt (infamous for distributing the “One night in Paris” DVD, an excellent Christmas gift by the way) decides to finance an idea he finds most interesting: “American Cannibal”. Basically ten contestants are sent to a remote island, starved for a period of time and led to believe that at the end of competition, someone will be eaten! Unknowingly to KB, Gil and Dave had their heart set on producing ‘Virgin Territory’ and had pitched the other idea to lighten the mood at the meeting, so to speak. Therefore when things get serious and Blatt actually invests money into this venture, shoddy production gets under way while Gil and Dave begrudgingly put up with all the crap that involves finding the right contestants, putting up with the annoying and lazy crew, etc. Their deal is bittersweet indeed.

The entire transition from pitch to production really makes an interesting social commentary on reality; how far are people willing to go to get their 15 minutes of fame? The nuts who showed up to audition would more often than not agree to do anything if picked for the show; that includes eating other contestants’ body parts, going several days without food or water, etc. Although Gil and Dave’s goal is to out-sensationalize all the other reality shows, they fly too close to the sun when things take a turn for the worse at the end, but I won’t spoil that for you. The bigger question lies in our perception of reality; how much are we willing to watch? What constitutes shocking, yet morally viewable television for the masses? The current state of reality television is stagnant and by pushing the envelope, Gil and Dave attempt to bring this phenomenon to the next level. In acquiring a deal their goal is to blast all social perceptions out the window and turn a normal ‘water cooler show’ into a goddamn ‘open bar get wasted show’.

What I really enjoyed about this documentary is, ironically, the reality that it conveys. The omni-present filmmakers who bring us on this journey also interview ‘network experts’ who give somewhat scathing views on society and our need for shock value. The over-hyped and sensationalist nature of reality TV is out of control; we are a very demanding culture that asks for more and more yet thinks less and less for itself. We’ve become so good at imitating reality that we’ll take the fake version over the real one any day. This movie really stirred me inside and I came away with a lot of questions about society and our culture of spoon-fed reality whores. The directors of this documentary asked TV executives “how the most shamelessly lowbrow shows make it to air, and their answers generally said that the quality of TV finds its own level. In other words, if the censors okay it, why not show it?” They add “our voracious appetite for entertainment make up our lives in this day and age, and while authenticity is irrelevant, the more lurid the show, the more ratings.” Shame on us.

Myles Dolphin

L : Change the world

L : Change the world.

Let me first begin by saying that in fantasia there are 3 types of movies.

Movies that are good no matter what venue you watch them

Movies that are good to watch at fantasia

Movies that suck no matter where they are watched.

This is a movie that is good no matter where you watch it. Truly funny and smart story.
here is a bit about this movie. This movie is essentially a spin-off from the Death Note movies (which in my opinion are a blind-buy must if anyone ever finds them on DVD) which although doesn't carry the battles of the mind like the Death Notes movies do, is still a very nice and entertaining movie that is a very nice addition to the franchise.

L (a.k.a Light Yigami) which possesses both Death Notes books after his student with the murderous student, decides to write in the book his own death and gives himself 23 days to live. During that time a vicious virus is unleashed in Thailand and L is given the task to solve the case, find an antidote and like the title suggests yes... change the world.

There are 2 things that practically make a movie great.

Story: this story is simplistic but it works. A simple task of solving a case and finding an antidote creates a nice setting to allow exploration of this eccentric character.

Entertainment: with the eccentricity of L we get to laugh practically at everything he does. From the way he punches the keyboard, to how he keeps his identity a secret to his diet and even how he toys with those around him. This movie doesn't have many dull moments

The director here is none other than Hideo Nakata. The creator of none other but the famous Ringu, Ringu 2 and dark waters movies. There is little wrong that this director has done in the past and still continues in this movie. Although there aren't as many risks here, he sticks to basics which sets the tone of this movie around exploring L's personality.

Overall this movie is what we want to see and frankly I expect from Japanese movies.

Great story, eccentricity, comedy, an expected amount of cheesiness that invoke our entire range of emotions.

Again, although not as good as the Death Notes movies, this is a fantastic addition.
I wish I can find these movies on dvd.

Ratings: 7.5/10

Daniel Moscovici

Second Skin (2008)

Second Skin (2008)

Second Skin follows the lives of seven people as they delve in to the world of MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games). The film follows three distinct stories involving seven people.

The most detailed plotline follows Chris, Matt, Anthony and Andy, four friends and housemates living in Indiana. They play WoW as often as they can, and also document their gaming sessions. Tension breaks out amongst the four friends as they ignore the responsibilities in life including Andy whose wife becomes pregnant with twins. She at first supports his hobby (addiction), but slowly begins to disapprove with the amount of time he spends gaming.

The film also follows Dan (a recovering WoW addict whose addiction cost him his relationship, his business and his home before kicking the habit); Liz the founder of Online Gamers Anonymous; Heather and Kevin, a couple whose romance began in Everquest II, and finally Andrew who suffering from physical disabilities finds his own special freedom in the virtual world.

Because of how much ground is covered, Second Skin doesn't have much time to spend with its subjects. Little screen time given to each story. Yet the film maker documents enough drama to not only keep us entertained but care about each character. Not all the individual stories are concluded but if anything it can be argued that it only helps in leaving a little to the imagination.

The film also avoids passing judgment on any of its subjects and the filmmaker takes care in telling both sides of the story. From the responsible gamers who carry out their normal lives. To those who lose themselves in the game leading to depression, suicide, and other actions that destroy their personal relationships. Director Piniero has a lot of ground to cover and by the end never answers the most important question: are these games good or bad? Do these games bring on anything positive or simply destroy the gamers? Yet despite some complaints some of had with his approach, I think that this is the key to the over all success of the film. Piniero has resisted answering that question. After all who is he to judge?

Jimmy D.

The Killer of Sheep - Masterpiece Cinema #1

The Killer of Sheep

Killer of Sheep; don't let the title put you off!

In cinematic history (that's a really long time!) few films have portrayed ghetto life as accurately and humanely as ‘Killer in Sheep'. What aspects, you might ask, make it a real standout among others? Well, consider the fact that it was shot by a UCLA student on weekends with a shoestring budget, using a mostly amateur cast. Charles Burnett, the director of this poignant tale, unknowingly created a film that has acquired cult status since its creation thirty years ago. Although very few independent movies that suffered the same initial fate as Killer of Sheep (limited distribution) can be called "cult films" today (Punishment Park and Stroszek come to mind), critics unanimously lauded this simplistic production for its accurate depiction of the down-and-out lifestyle many people suffered in Watts, an African-American ghetto of Los Angeles.

I had never heard of this movie until our Arts Editor told me about it but the title and circumstances surrounding the film's release immediately caught my interest. It opens with a powerful scene involving a father (Stan) and his oldest child. Stan berates his son for refusing to protect his younger brother when a group of children ganged up on the latter. His fiery gaze burns a hole through his son's eyes while he chews him out, reminding him that family comes first and that under no circumstances shall one abandon the other. The ferociousness of his speech does not set the tone of the film however, as we discover later on that Stan is an insomniac whose brutal labor at the slaughterhouse directly contributes to his disassociation with reality. Through a series of loosely connected vignettes, his daily happenings and those of his friends and family are played out in or around his poor neighborhood.

One particular dinner scene establishing Stan's disjointed reality has him staring right into his plate, daydreaming of who knows what, aloof and content. His wife and daughter look on although fully aware of his all-to-common behavior. Other interesting scenes involve the neighborhood children who play in the rubble of destroyed and abandoned buildings due to the lack of organized activities. At one point, Stan and a few friends plot to rob and kill someone for monetary purposes. Whether it's the sight of a young boy wiping the dirt off his pants or a young girl singing to Motown tunes, the message is always present; desperation, frustration and unlimited hurdles fuel these people's lives. Poetic yet heartbreaking, Killer of Sheep reveals itself as truly original in its goal to publicize the sometimes dangerous and highly volatile life in Watts. Fortunately for North American moviegoers, the movie has been restored and enlarged to 35mm by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and Milestone Films, thanks in part to a donation from filmmaker Steven Soderbergh.

In terms of music, the songs chosen by Burnett exemplify the wonderful talent pool that African American artists have created. "This Bitter Earth", sung by Dinah Washington, is played during an especially tender moment between Stan and his wife. As they gently sway to the soulful melody, they hold each other tight; the wife grips her husband's shirt tighter and tighter, perhaps in response to the lyrics that remind her of the south she grew up in. When the song ends, Stan leaves the room and her frustration boils over as she sits on a window sill, sobbing away while a voiceover confirms her nostalgic moment. In addition, I admired the Lynch-like use of dark, ambient music to set the tone for certain scenes, a definite reminder of Eraserhead, another movie you kids should see a.s.a.p. Killer of Sheep was not immediately released upon completion due to a snafu involving the musical rights; that is, until the restorers could pony up the 150,000$ required to secure the rights.

Although it has been brought up to modern standards, the movie succeeds in keeping its message fresh and delivers the same emotional punch to its audience as it did thirty years ago. Its impact on the way we think about poor, urbanized areas was not imminent, but rather delayed. In 1990 the Library of Congress declared the film a national treasure and placed it among the first 50 films entered in the National Film Registry. In 2002 the national society of Film Critics named it one of the 100 essential films of all time. Such praise for such a modest movie only goes to show that it deserves the distribution it is finally getting.

Myles Dolphin

No Country For Old Men

No Country For Old Men

9/10

I will will start this review with a bold statement : Javier Bardem WILL win a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this. I guarantee it.

Now onto the movie. No Country For Old Men is brilliant. Freakin’ brilliant. The Coens brothers take what could be an average thriller and turn it into an examination of the moral values and society of this day and age. These aren’t blatantly on the surface. But even if you don’t get the themes, you’ll still probably wind up enjoying the movie. From the masterful suspense and stunning cinematography, No Country For Old Men gets it all right. It also features more humor than I expected. Which is a good thing. It prevents it from getting too bogged down in it’s darkness.

I guess I might be alienating those who haven’t heard of it yet but here’s a brief plot summary. Lewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) is a hunter who stumbles upon a drug deal done gone bad. There is the usual mess of dead bodies but also something else : 2 million dollars. But of course, as the tagline states, there are no clean getaways. A ruthless killer, Anton Chirguh (Javier Bardem) is sent to retrieve the money. The local sherrif (Tommy Lee Jones) tries to track him down and stop him. What follows in an exciting and bloody game of cat and mouse and the body count goes WAY UP.

As I said before, Javier Bardem STEALS this movie. His character is the most chilling and vile villain since Bill The Butcher. You will have nightmares after seeing this movie. And the rest of the cast does well too. Josh Brolin does a great job as his character gets deeper into trouble. Towards the end Tommy Lee Jones anchors the movie a bit more and does a fine job. It’s his character that sends home the message of the film. And the always great Woody Harrelson provides some good comic relief in his brief screentime. And oh yeah, Milton from Office Space is in it!

I do not recommend this for the faint of heart but any serious film fan NEEDS to see this. You might be frustrated by the ending as I was initially. I was suspecting a big showdown climax but the Coens go for something more subtle and deep. As I thought more about it, I liked it more. The Coens deserve a large round of applause for what they did with this.

Ethaniel Vestby

There Will Be Blood

There Will Be Blood

10/10

P.T. Anderson’s newest film is not an easy one. It cannot be sumarized or simplified into a neat little package. It is a lot to digest on just one viewing. But that’s what I love about it. When I see a movie, I WANT to be challenged. I WANT to think. And There Will Be Blood made me proud to be a film geek.

The story centers around a misanthropic oil man known as Daniel Plainview. From the brilliantly executed dialogue free opening, we learn so much about who he is. During the first 1/3 of the film, he seems reasonably relateable and likeable. But you see those little signs in his eyes or facial expressions of a monster. It’s not until a certain point in the film in which he talks to his brother, that he outright reveals his true feelings. But Anderson does not lay out a heavy handed characterization at this point for the dumber members of the audience. He uses this to build upon the end, where Plainview becomes a true scoundrel. And even with an already beautifully written character, Daniel Day Lewis takes it even farther. He truly gives one of the best performances I’ve ever seen.

And I should mention the conflict of the story. You see, throughout the film Plainview is at odds with a young preacher named Eli Sunday. The foundation of their beliefs are exactly the same. And there is a final showdown that concludes the story beautifully. The theme of capitalism vs. religion is fascinating and wonderfully connects with the human examination aspects of the film. It might seem like I’m summing everything up like I said you can’t. But I’m really just analyzing a few aspects of this film. It is one so fantastic and deep that you need to see it for yourself and draw your own conclusions.

And there is one scene I should mention. It involves a derrick fire and is PURE CINEMATIC PERFECTION. The direction, cinematography and music and this scene made my jaw drop and my tears well up.

With dreck like Alvin and The Chipmunks and National Treasure : Book of Secrets polluting the silver screens of North America, There Will Be Blood is a shining beacon of cinematic light.

Ethaniel Vestby