The Last Song: movie review

This is a review for the movie adaptation. It has no spoilers. If you're interested, my review for the book can be found over here.

A story about Family.
First loves. Second chances.
and the Moments in Life
That Lead You Back Home.

If you are going to watch this movie, you have to look past the fact that it's Miley Cyrus playing a very dramatic role. Once you've successfully done that -- which believe me, I have tried over and over again -- then you can finally enjoy the movie.
Now please don't think I am simply hating on Miley Cyrus, because I'm really not. I watched this with a very open-mind. I have to admit, she was effective when the scene called her to be funny, happy, and giddy. But when it came down to the dramatic scenes -- when she was crying, moping, angry, or just deep in thought -- I'm afraid she just did not deliver very well. Fortunately, the rest of the cast did.
Greg Kinnear, who took the role as the father of Miley Cyrus' character, Ronnie, delivered, as expected. The supporting role of Ronnie's brother, played by Bobby Coleman (Martian Child, anyone?) was also effective. His acting did not seem forced in any way whatsoever, which I think is an amazing achievement for his age. Liam Hemsworth played the character of Ronnie's love interest, and I have to admit, I found him extremely likable. There are four reasons: 1) He's good-looking 2) He has a certain charm to him that captures the audience quite easily 3) He can act, and 4) He's not annoying.
As for the plot itself, it's the usual 'Nicholas Sparks' emotional tear-jerker. It is nowhere close as The Notebook or even A Walk to Remember. In fact, the plot and story line has been done many times before. There were also the usual cliche lines and dialogues. In a way though, I actually didn't mind because like I said, I thought the other actors delivered it well enough. As for Cyrus, well -- again I'm really not just hating! -- let's just say I was literally cringing whenever I heard her say a corny line.
Overall though, this movie is 'okay-good.' It is absolutely not a great movie. However, it does have the ability to make you laugh, smile, and maybe even cry. You might even remember and reminisce about your first love -- and loss. Because of these, I will be generous and give it 3/5 -- I liked it, but it's not like "I really liked it." I also do recommend it, but definitely only to certain audiences. Also, the truth is, personally, I really think it's only DVD worthy. If you are going to see it, please try to watch with an open mind as well. Look past Miley Cyrus, and you might actually enjoy it. Sorry, no offense.

Alice in Wonderland: movie review

This is a review for the movie adaptation. It has no spoilers. If you're interested, my review for the book can be found over here.

If you know me, and have noticed my previous posts, you would know I have been so excited for this movie to come out. Sadly though, I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed.
For this film, Tim Burton creates an eerie and imaginative version of a timeless classic. It's an odd take on it, but that is the beauty of a Burton movie. You can't help but be hooked. It simply demands your full attention.

Really though, the best thing about the film are actually the actors. Not surprisingly, it is Johnny Depp that makes the movie. The Mad Hatter seemed to be no longer just a supportive character in Alice in Wonderland. At least to me, Johnny Depp was the saving grace of this film. I did think there were other actors that played their characters extremely well. One of them is Helena Bonham Carter, who played the Queen of Hearts. She played the character as if it was her own; from her mannerisms, expression, to the delivery of her dialogues. It seemed effortless. Ann Hathaway did a great job too, for the part she was given. However, I thought the Depp-Carter team up (Sweeney Todd, anyone?) overshadowed her performance just a bit.

The other characters -- the blue catterpillar, Cheshire cat (my favorite!), Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum -- were done just right. They were amusing and awesome, just as they should be.

The main downfall, and this is kind of unfortunate, was the main character, Alice. She is played by the lovely Mia Wasikowski. She was indeed lovely. It's too bad though because that was it. She was lovely, but I didn't think she played her character that well. Her expressions were one-sided. At times, she just looked extremely bored to death. She lacks charisma, and should I say, that "pizazz." There was nothing new, unique, and special about her that was brought to the table.

On an entirely different note, I have to comment real quick about the costumes, as they were amazing! People tend to overlook this part, thinking it's not important. But I disagree, because I feel as if costumes, along with set designs, adds a much needed factor to any film. The power of costume design definitely worked for this one. Be on the look out for Alice's different dresses -- I actually kind of want them all! :P

Finally, I want to clear it out that I did not think it was a bad movie. I was entertained, and it did not bore me in any way whatsoever. There were parts that were witty, smart, and even funny. Unfortunately, I just didn't think it was that good. There were a couple of painful-to-watch moments, and the dialogue -- a bit cliche and juvenile. I'm actually kind of bummed writing this review. I really am one of those big fans of Alice. I was super excited about this one, and have been since I first saw the teaser poster in early 2009. I really, really, really wanted to love this movie! I didn't. I probably wouldn't even buy the DVD when it comes out. However, I still recommend you to watch it though.

Visually, it is as stunning as Tim Burton's aesthetic, but as a whole, the film lacked a bit of substance. To put it simply, it just was just not as effective, and as good, as it was hyped up (and as I had hoped) it to be.

Note: I did not see this on 3d, as I get easily dizzy. I heard it was amazing though, and if I weren't the type to get light-headed easily, I would've watched it in that version. If you saw it on 3d, what did you think?

Shutter Island: movie review

This is a review for the movie adaptation. It has no spoilers. If you're interested, my review for the book can be found over here.

I am no movie expert or critic, so I can not say much on the film's technicalities. All I know is, with this movie, I was sitting on the edge of my seat; entertained, creeped out, and intrigued the entire time.
I read the book before seeing the movie, and if you are wondering if the movie lives up to Dennis Lehane's haunting novel, I can say that yes, it definitely does. This is one of the very few movie adaptations based off a book that actually satisfies and maybe even exceeds expectations.

The well-acclaimed director, Martin Scorsese, did something unique for this story, and made it even more twisted, if that was even possible. He put many subtle hints and touches, that makes the total feel and vibe of it realistic. He also added the creepy factor, as there were times that I literally had goosebumps. I have to clear this out though, Shutter Island is NOT a horror movie, but is more of a psychological thriller that has its share of horrific moments.
Of course, it's not all up to Scorsese to produce a good film. The actors carry a movie, and especially in one that builds its foundation on its characters, the portrayals are crucial.
Personally, I found Leonardo DiCaprio's performance to be flawless. He dove right into the main character's shoes like it was his all along, making me not only see what he sees, but feel for everything he was going through. I also thought Ben Kingsley did a great job with his role as the kind and sympathetic, but mysterious Dr. Cawley.

As you're watching this, you will be full of questions until the ending is revealed. That ending, I thought had an incredible build up, and was delivered perfectly. Even when I already knew what the conclusion was going to be, I still found myself awe-struck and shocked by it. It was heartbreaking and mind boggling all the same time.
I heard some people say that this movie was "too complicated." I believe, we all enjoy movies that simply entertain, make us laugh, cry, or feel good. Sometimes though, I also like movies that make me think. This movie asks you to do that, without meaning to. Call it "complicated," I think it just challenges its viewers, like me, to think outside the box. That is actually one of the reasons why I liked it.

Though these kinds of mysterious who-did-what, what's-going-on stories might have been dealt with times and times before, this movie delivered the same concept in an entirely different way. Another clever thing was that this movie will also prove that you do not need big, jumpy scenes to scare the audience and make them feel disturbed. Psychological terror that digs deep into our fears are more than enough.
Having said all that, Shutter Island is a clever, haunting, thought-provoking, smart and an overall entertaining movie full of thrill and suspense that everyone should watch at least once. Whether you like it like I did, or not, one thing's for sure. It's a mind trip.

Generally, I HIGHLY recommend this to anyone. Mostly if you:
1. have read the book (I thought the movie stayed very faithful to it)
2. are a fan of Scorsese and DiCaprio
3. like thrilling, mysterious, crazy, creepy, eerie, & haunting films
4. like movies, period.

However, this isn't exactly for everybody. Maybe think twice if:
1. you scare and get nightmares easily (a.k.a me, but I still watched and liked it anyway)
2. you don't really like movies that keeps the answer to all your questions until the very end. Some people like drawn out mysteries, some like to get the answers right away. If you are the latter, read the spoilers if you'd like. I still think it's a good movie to see.

"Is it better to live as a monster or to die as a good man?"

The Lovely Bones: movie review

This is a review for the movie adaptation. If you're interested, I have a book review for it too over here, which I wrote about 2 years ago.

Sentimental, sinister, fantasy, science-fiction, mystery, thriller, (horror?) are all the words I can think of to describe the story of The Lovely Bones. The book version achieved worldwide success because the combination of all of those worked so well and seemed effortless. In the movie, these mismatched and sometimes, even odd elements come back to bring out a story that can be viewed either to be a hit or a miss.

First of all, I liked the movie. It's not one of my favorites, but I am definitely on the 'i liked it' side of the spectrum.

In my opinion though, the best part about the film is casting Saoirse Ronan, the actress who played such an unforgettable role in Atonement, as the main character, Susie Salmon. I think she was definitely the best element in the movie. Never did her acting seem too over the top, cliche, or juvenile. She just brought naturalness and radiance to her part, that made me really feel for her character so much more.
Another actor I can say that really made the film also, is Stanley Tucci, who played the murderer. If you have seen the movie, you know exactly what I mean. The way he portrayed the character of Mr. Harvey was crazy-awesome.
Unfortunately, this movie has gotten a lot of negative reviews. But I usually don't rely on critic reviews or overly critical fan reviews anyway. I can be critical, but I also try to take a movie (or a book) as it is.
I do understand the most common reasons though why a lot of people don't understand or like this movie. Mostly maybe because of how the directors/producers made it such a 'fantasy-ish' movie. A huge example that had this aspect is Susie's afterlife. To some, it might appear too contrived, or too corny/sappy. Also, another reason why people tend to not like this could also be because the movie was extremely weird, creepy, and startling all at the same time! To say it was disturbing is almost an understatement. It wasn't so much that it showed scenes of violence and gore, because those aspects were actually kept to a mininum. What was more grotesque was the thought of those happening, and letting your own imagination wander. (My friends and I actually had a hard time walking back to our car because of the afterthought, go figure)

As predicted, the movie is depressing simply because the whole story surrounds the murder of a young girl. But personally, although it was definitely a sad story, it was also in a way very uplifting. In fact, it actually left me feeling hopeful instead. Mostly, it was just heartrendingly bittersweet.

I also have to add that the ending quote pretty much summed up everything. Understanding this quote somehow puts a touch of "okay-ness" to the injustice as well as the unfound bodies. I really wish people paid more attention to hearing it. hehe.

So I recommend this to people who:
1. have read the book (They changed some stuff, but I've come to accept that, that's how it will always be in movie adaptations)
2. like fantastical/sci-fi, drama, thriller all at the same time
3. don't have too much expectations
4. would like a movie, without judging it based on unbiased opinions
5. like Saoirse Ronan as well as Stanley Tucci

But maybe think twice if:
1. you are easily scared/disturbed/creeped out (a.k.a me, but I still liked it anyway)
2. if you do not believe there is a heaven, a hell, and in between. Arguably, this might be not a good movie to watch as it is heavily drawn towards those particular beliefs.


"There are the physical bones of our existence, which may or may not be found, and then there are the petrified emotions that linger in the hearts of those we’ve loved. These intangible proofs of our being are what make life meaningful, regardless of how old we become or how we die." - Susie Salmon