MOVIE REVIEW - Tough to watch, Precious is a true must-see

Director Lee Daniels provides a stellar example of American independent filmmaking with his presentation of “Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.” Armed with an exceptional ensemble cast and a powerful script by Geoffrey Fletcher, Daniels delivers with detailed authenticity a stunning drama laden with so much emotional upheaval that it is at once both fascinating and exhausting to view.

Daniels, who produced “Monster’s Ball” and “The Woodsman,” knows more than just a little about the importance of character development and how to apply the “slow burn” approach of revealing a series of circumstances and actions that punctuate the multi-layered aspects and eventual outcomes of the given characters.

Precious (Gabourey Sidibe) is an illiterate teen who is pregnant for the second time by her now absent father. After enduring a lifetime of sexual abuse along with emotional and physical abuse by her mother, Mary (Mo’Nique), Precious appears to have no hope of escaping the persistently violent turmoil of her home life.

After her pregnancy is discovered at school, Precious is encouraged to enroll in an alternative school where the motto is “Each One/Teach One.” With the help of a dedicated teacher, Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), Precious begins to uncover through reading and writing her years of hurt and bitterness, and she eventually gains the emotional strength to care for her newborn baby. Not long after leaving her mother’s home, Precious experiences another devastating blow that seems to leave her little choice but to contemplate giving up on her education.

Even though each step forward seems thwarted by setbacks, Precious remains in school and with improving test scores finds pride in the experience. When her social worker (Mariah Carey) arranges for a meeting with Mary, it pushes Precious into a confrontation that ultimately leads her to a life that, while difficult, contains the hope of her finding a level of happiness and self-respect.

Look for Sidibe to get an Oscar nod for best actress. She has more than a good chance to win, especially if her biggest competition turns out to Sandra Bullock. Mo’Nique (widely known for her comic turns) is also poised for a supporting actress win.

Additional performances by Lenny Kravitz, a nearly unrecognizable Carey and the very confident Patton are genuinely rendered and a tribute to Daniels’ ability to pull memorable characterizations from each member of his cast. This is a film that’s often difficult to watch, but it’s a must-see for avid filmgoers and one of the best pictures of the year.

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Movie Review - Avatar

The new science fiction fantasy film, “Avatar” which opened in theaters nationwide Friday, December 18th is a visual feast for the eyes.

Written and directed by James Cameron (“Titanic”) this fantasy flick is even better behind a pair of 3D glasses. The film follows the story of a veteran paraplegic Marine, Jake Sully, who has agreed to take up the task of his fallen brother on a foreign planet rich in resources, called Pandora.

As the inhabitants of Planet Earth have squandered away the last green specks Mother Earth had to offer, they charge the planet of Pandora with the intention of pillaging it for their own greedy gain.

The planet of Pandora is inhabited by a primitive tribe, the Na’vi, which Jake must become a part of to fulfill the human mission, gain the tribe’s trust; this is done by the use of half-human, half-Na’vi avatars.

The resulting story is, of course, what transforms in Jake and the other characters as the avatars take hold. With sci-fi greats like Sigourney Weaver in supporting roles, this film is pitch-perfect for a viewer who wants to be dazzled. James Cameron pulls out all of the stops with special effects, as advertised, but he also hits all the right notes in the details of the picture. Especially in 3D, everything is so realistic, though foreign, and James Cameron doesn’t leave a detail undone, even marking Sully’s shrinking physique as the story unfolds.

The entire acting cast does a superb job, and even in avatar form, you believe their emotions; Zoe Saldana in the female lead is especially believable despite the fact that her face is never seen outside avatar form. If you want to be filled with wonder as you watch the magic of a beautiful place and its people, this is the film for you. Strap on your 3D glasses and get to the theater for an engrossing and visually stunning ride to the planet Pandora via James Cameron’s “Avatar.”

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Film review - The Lovely Bones

Peter Jackson's latest project, The Lovely Bones, treats a harrowing subject with dignity and tenderness. The Lovely Bones is the tale of 14-year-old Susie Salmon, who lives in a happy family in rural Pennsylvania.

After her brutal murder she watches over her family as they attempt to come to terms with her violent death. Translating a much-loved book for the big screen was always going to be a challenge and purists might be disappointed with some of the changes Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyen made to Alice Sebold's novel.

The 1970s are recreated brilliantly, from the colour-clashing costumes to the soft furnishings and the feel of the era. In terms of casting, Jackson has surrounded himself with impressive talent.

Saoirse Ronan is perfectly cast as Susie Salmon, Stanley Tucci is suitably creepy and Susan Sarandon provides some welcome comic relief as the cocktail-swilling, chain-smoking, straight-talking grandmother.

Mark Wahlberg puts in a powerful performance as the father who refuses to give up on his daughter. There are also solid performances from New Zealanders Rose McIvor, as Susie's sister, and Carolyn Dando.

The CGI rendering of Susie's "in-between world" is wonderfully dreamlike and does the book justice but on occasion these sequences feel a little over-long. As a result the scenes back on Earth, particularly midway through the film, feel a little disjointed.

Early test screenings suggested that audiences were disappointed with Jackson's treatment of Susie's murder, but it's nice not to be spoon-fed during a movie for a change. Suggestive flashbacks allow the audience to fill in the blanks.

It's obvious that the original source material is very dear to the writers' hearts and they've tried to convey some of the innocence and charm of the original book into the film. I'll be honest, I'm in two minds about this one, I enjoyed the movie and some sections were classic Peter Jackson, but I was left feeling it could have been so much more.

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Avatar Review

James Cameron, don’t leave us for this long again. What’s encompassed in the 161 minutes that the King of the World has crafted shows us a seasoned veteran who knew what he had all along.

The feeling called back to something I felt at the 1996 Olympics when I witnessed Michael Jordan and the Dream Team make their way to another gold medal. Jordan effortlessly handled the ball unlike anyone who had played.

The game before him and ever will, no matter how many Kobe’s or LeBron’s come our way. I couldn’t help but be breathless as I witnessed a legend show why he was a true master of the art.

Simply put; Cameron has done things in Avatar I have never seen before in a film. Never before have I used that phrase to describe any movie these eyes have ever seen, and maybe it’s fitting that the director I grew up idolizing would be the one to break the mold.

Is it the game-changer he lauded it to be? Time will tell, but it’s awfully obvious he’s raised the bar just like he did with a little film in 1991 called Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Even Avatar’s worst effect shots still look just as good as anything in Star Trek or even the terribly overrated District 9.

The big question though is are the effects photo-realistic, and the answer for at least ninety-five percent of the movie, yes. Cameron doesn’t rely on cheap tricks to mask something poorly done (think Transformers with cutting away from robot action) and makes sure that gajillion dollar budget is completely present on screen. The Na’vi aren’t really, really well done CG, they’re an actual alien race hiding on a studio lot somewhere. Maybe that’s another wrong term, as the reason this film took so long to make involved Cameron and company actually flying to Pandora and filming on-location. With that still being said, it’s an understatement to how engrossing, detailed, and absolutely gorgeous the backgrounds and environments are.

Effects aren’t everything as many hacks have often proven time and again. Unlike them, Cameron has also shown us time and again he doesn’t slouch when it comes to the story and his characters. Avatar is no different, and certainly the film borrows (but doesn’t steal) from other sources. Yet once again showing what a veteran Cameron is, he tells Jake Sully’s tale in such a beautiful, expert way that its shortcomings are easily forgivable. Most won’t, and likely they’re the same people who championed some small alien film that ripped off twenty different sources. Dialogue is also a weakness, and while Cameron’s created some quotable lines over his illustrious career, this has always been one of his few faults. But again, it’s completely forgivable in the overall scheme of things.
Happily, Cameron’s assembled a cast that for the most part are tailor made for their roles. Sam Worthington is quickly turning into the perfect leading man. He’s charming, good-looking, and most importantly, can act. He’s perfect at chewing up the screen with the right amount of confidence and swagger he displayed in Terminator Salvation. Complimenting him is a more than capable Zoe Saldana who has come a very, very long way since her days a lackey in Crossroads. In that time, she’s become a decent actress and is beginning her domination in science fiction. Saldana is given a lot of work to do with Neyteri, and reminds one of what Peter Weller’s task was with RoboCop. The fiery femme is sexy, tough (as expected with Cameron) and above all, blue. The only thing anyone should be mad about with her performance is that Cameron never allows us to actually look at her real, beautiful face.

She’s not the show stealer, nor does Worthington complete that task he pulled off with the latest Terminator film. There’s an elder gentlemen by the name of Stephen Lang who seems to be the offspring of The T-1000 and Sgt. Apone. Lang takes a simple caricature and completely turns him into the most memorable character in the film. He’s pure evil, and the perfect villain for this and maybe not the most clever, but the most brash. He and Cameron had to wait twenty-three years to team up (originally, Lang was to be Hicks in Aliens) and it was well worth it. All in all, he deserves to be in contention for a Supporting Actor nod for what he pulls off.

Unfortunately not all links in the chain of actors are as tight as they should be, but thankfully it’s only held to Giovanni Ribisi. Normally a very capable actor, Ribisi’s Parker Selfridge is nothing more than a cheap Ari Gold impression. My disdain for Piven not helping me like this character, Ribisi also fails to create a sleezeball that Paul Reiser so gleefully did with Carter J. Burke. He’s Avatar’s albatross, but thankfully we’re supposed to hate this guy. Slim pickens for me.

Getting back on a positive note, perhaps it’s fate that Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver appear in the same film, much less one by the king of the genre himself.. Both have torn up the sci-fi circuit for some time, and while Rodriguez’s resume isn’t as prestigious as Weaver’s, she’s still contributed to the tough female persona Ms. Ripley so perfectly defined. Michelle’s at her most relaxed here, and seemingly having the time of her life as she’s along for this journey. She’s more enjoyable here than anything she’s done in the past few years, and hopefully this gets her back on the path to quality.

Then of course, Weaver. Like her director, she too knows she has nothing left to prove and does what she’s been doing for the past thirty years. While age is slowly, slowly catching her, she continues to remain just as beautiful as she has in every role not named ‘Ripley.’ In fact, this almost feels as if she’s passing on the torch to Zoe. Cameron also gives us this moment two hours in that this may be Weaver’s last call, and she’s giving the torch to Ms. Saldana.

It’s moments like that that make Avatar what it is. Is it a perfect film? No, even with it’s forgivable faults. The film is the culmination of James Cameron, a director who has mastered what it means to be an event film. Where he succeeded best is making sure these groundbreaking effects had a well-told and acted story to back them up. After twelve years away from the game, Cameron comes back and effortlessly proves why he’s still the best blockbuster director on the block. No steps have been lost, nor was there any rust. Avatar is just a master at work, creating his finest masterpiece. Oh, and see it in 3D. It demands it.

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Movie Review - Rocket Singh

How does one review a movie so absurdly polished, so phenomenally original and nifty? A mere thousand-word article does no justice to this staggering achievement.

There's no way around it - 'Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year' is a stunningly assured piece of moviemaking from Shimit Amin.

If it had lived up to its golden first five minutes, 'Rocket Singh' would have been the movie of the decade. But the film is lighthearted and enjoyable, with just enough undercurrents of human frailty to keep the story interesting.

The film glides through its well-structured script, letting the audience coast along with it and allowing the performers to create the magic. And the best thing about 'Rocket Singh' is that its the first Yash Raj film that respects its own characters wholeheartedly, without a wink.

Rocket Singh's tone is perfectly pitched, its dialogue is absolutely right and is delivered with performances that will remain in your hearts and minds for a very long time. And it's not just the character of Rocket (Harpreet) Singh, but also the supporting cast and characters who bring this story to life. Take for example the character Puri, who plays Harpreet's boss, is astonishingly, lovably villainous. Or for that matter the Hyderabadi Santosh, the perpetually befuddled porn-addict computer assembler. Or the sales shark Nitin, with his venomous demeanor, razor sharp brain and hilarious sideburns. Or Chhotelal Misra, the frustrated peon, or the striving receptionist Koena. Heck, even Harpreet's office mates in their bit roles make a big impression. The casting was just impeccable. Shazahn Padamsee was the one weak link of the film, a better actress would have been a jackpot, but that's just moaning. You can find things to complain about what it is. But nothing really compares to what it is.

Ranbir Kapoor's charming turn in 'Rocket Singh' is the greatest of his short career. Expect a Force 10 gale of a performance from Ranbir, charismatic, spirited, exasperated and restrained all at once if you can imagine that. His devotion to the character is itself extraordinary - there are genuine glints in his eyes. No doubt about it, he is the most talented lead actor of this generation.

Director Amin has managed an impressive achievement that qualifies as a great Bollywood film. He knows a thing or two about pacing, and it's relentless here. Even in its near 3-hour runtime, there is not a scene that bores or seems unnecessary. Miraculously, Amin does away with songs, and with the sleight of hand handles the love angle with refreshing nonchalance. The final confrontation scene between Harpreet and his boss is itself worth the price of admission. Screenwriter Jaideep Sahni deftly explores (mostly the humorous side of) sticky subjects like office politics, bribery, corruption, work ethics, non-exploitative profits, but never stoops to shoving stereotypes in your face. The dialogue is crisp, and each scene is terse, which makes you beg for more.

All in all, this is an absolute gem of a movie and the perfect antidote to all the trashy big budget vehicles that keep releasing. 'Rocket Singh' is a delectable film indeed, I implore you to watch it.

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Movie Review - The Twilight Saga New Moon

No Wayyy! I was soooo looking forward to seeing NEW MOON ! It turned out to be suuuch a bummer! Like so bad! This is THE TWILIGHT SAGA after all, get real screenplaythingywriters!

NEW MOON begins with a kewl shot of skanky Bella in like some forest and then Edward (audience goes yayy!) pops in out of nowhere with a constipated look on his face.

But then an old hag comes along and Edward begins creepily breathing beside her face. And like ewww grandma looks exactly as hideous as Kristen … maybe they used some kinda prosthetic like in that Curious Jenson Button movie (omg Brad was so hawt in it :p) . Anyways we learn that it was all a dream (duh!).

Cut to Bella’s dad (aww love his cute little moustache) wishing Bella a happy birthday (what is she like, 12? *scoff*). Skankella then goes to school, meets her loser friends (including the gay dude who has the hots for her), some boring pop music plays and Edward walks out of a product placement Nissan car in slow motion and proceeds to smooch Skankella in full public view. And OMG Skankella becomes sooo horny in the process and mentally does all kinds of naughty things to Edward. After Edward cracks a TOTALLY lame joke Jacob walks in!! With his huge arms!! Yayy!!

Aaaanyways, nothing else happens for the next two (or was it three?) more hours, apart from silly Edward breaking up with Skankella, Skankella bonding with hawt Jacob, Jacob losing his hair, Jacob prancing about shirtless, Jacob drooling over Skankella, Skankella behaving like a no-good slut, Skankella placing her finger in Jacob’s exposed navel (grossss!!!), Jacob turning into a werewolf etc etc etc. Oh yeahhhhh there’s even one or two scenes with some weird gay Italian vampires with British accents. And bling. I don’ geddit.

ZOMG Jacob looks TOTALLY hot n buff, he can’t act for nuts, and even comes off sooo sissy in the big faceoff scene in Bella’s home. But hey, he’s got biceps, I love it! Ooooh I wish they put a restraining order on all his T shirts. Edward looks like ewwwww! Ugly! Like when he pulls off his robe in Italy I almost barfed out my cola! He kinda reminded me of an actor called Balakrishna, what with the excessive powder, lipstick and mascara. And he’s such a wuss! Chicken-head Kristen as Skankella is soooo boring. Oh my Goood! Her dung-under-the-nose expression throughout is like so bad. And gosh her sleepy, labored dialogue delivery made me want to reach out and slap her awake.

And the other vampires? They just come and go like extras. Ditto for the werewolf clan, who are mostly shirtless, wet and are exposing their unwashed jockey underwears. Eww. And why are they still wearing shorts after turning back into humans? Or wearing only shorts and no tees? I don’ geddit.

Brace yourselves cuz New Moon is such an exercise in idiocy. Somewhere between the boredom and nausea Edward says to Skankella: 'You’re the only one who can annoy me'. I sooo agree.

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Movie Review - The Maid

The Maid is a comedy of cultural conflict that could easily be remade into an absolutely horrific American vehicle. It practically sounds like a September release set to star a beautiful Jessica (Alba, Simpson, or Biel) but the wacky remake of The Maid would almost certainly miss what works about the original.

(Don’t they always?) For awhile, the set-up and plot description of The Maid plays almost like a quirky sitcom, but writer/director Sebastian Silva wisely focuses on character instead of caricature and has crafted a film that is surprisingly moving by the time it reaches its bittersweet final act.

With rave reviews, it seems almost inevitable that a story this clever will be brought up during a discussion of potential foreign remakes at a production meeting in the near future (if it hasn’t happened already). This version of The Maid isn't perfect, but it avoids so many of the pitfalls of its concept that a remake is simply too risky an idea.

One of the main reasons that The Maid works and an element that could easily be derailed is the moving lead performance by Catalina Saavedra as the title character, Raquel. The film opens on her birthday, as the family that she's been working for most of her life tries to drag her into something of a celebration.

Raquel is clearly a shy woman with the kind of sad eyes that betray a lifetime of servitude without even the conscious awareness that she may have lost something by giving everything to a family other than her own. You see, she may not be blood but Raquel doesn't see the family she works for as anything but her own. She's watched the children grown up and has dealt with the matriarch's flights of shopping fancy for more than two decades.

But Raquel is starting to snap under the pressure. She has serious migraine headaches, is clearly exhausted, and starts to butt heads with the older children in the family. When they bring in some help in the form of another maid, Raquel sees this as an advance on her territory, a potential replacement more than a helping hand, and, naturally, she reacts. She sabotages each potential new employee – locking them out of the house, letting the cat out so the new girl will be blamed, etc. Raquel is losing it, both mentally and physically, until the hiring of Camila (Andrea Garcia-Huidobro) really changes her life by reminding her what she's been missing.

With the arrival of Camila in the final act, The Maid goes from something of a diary of a madwoman to the film that's earned the nominations and rave reviews that Silva's work has been receiving around the world. Don't get me wrong. The first half of the film is strong, especially in Saavedra's compelling and consistent lead performance, but the film felt somewhat slight and simple to this viewer for a little over half of its running time.

If Raquel had driven one more maid to quit without repercussion The Maid would have lost its heroine and turned her into too much of an anti-hero. Smartly, Silva realizes this and makes a left turn with the hiring of a real friend for Raquel that exposes a sad truth of a life that's lived basically in servitude. Raquel doesn't know her mother, has no idea about love or sex, and looks like she can barely breathe outside of her little room in the back of the house. Is it any wonder that she works through exhaustion or sabotages those who move in on her turf? She wouldn’t make it in the real world.

I wish the entirety of The Maid was as confident and intriguing as the final twenty minutes and the "wacky comedy" that is sure to inspire the inevitable remake lost me a few times. Locking out a maid while she has something in the oven is borderline sociopathic and it's hard to root for a character who behaves so erratically. But, ultimately, Silva isn't necessarily asking us to root for Raquel. He's asking us to take a second look and realize the choices people like her make every day – to give so much while taking so little.

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Movie Review - Paa

Take your Maa, Paa, friends, uncles, aunties, neighbours to the nearest theater playing this charming little movie.

Even though you expect the tragedy nearing the climax, there is still much to love about 'Paa' and its wittily-named central character.

Auro (Amitabh Bachchan) loves fart and potty jokes, he calls his auntie 'Bum' because of her rather large posterior, he enjoys everything there is about King Kong and computers, he loves cracking jokes with his friends over the phone, and hates it when his mom drops him to school.

In short, Auro is just another loveable kid, only difference is, he's got a body of a 60-year old. One day Auro is given an award at a school function by.

The friendly neighbourhood politician (Abhishek), his single mom (Vidya Balan) realises that the man is none other than her estranged boyfriend who had dumped her after she had gotten pregnant. How mother, father and son reconcile forms the rest of the story.

Note the order - mother, father, and son. More than often, the film curiously pushes Auro to the background, which is frustrating because his presence lights up every frame of the film. This is Auro's film, why are we watching unnecessary sub plots and meandering scenes (like the one in the Metro)? Moreover, why is this film called 'Paa'? Paaji Abhishek Bachchan's performance exudes the dexterity of a little girl whose shoelaces have been tied together, but Vidya Balan is a powerhouse. Her towering screen presence nicely accentuates her quiet dignity, and her dialogue delivery is masterful. If anything, 'Paa' is more about Maa's love for Auro.

Amitabh Bachchan was an inspired casting choice, he is simply wondrous to behold as the gawky teenager Auro. He is borderline unfathomable as his gait, voice, eyes don't the least bit remind you of his own self. There is not the slightest hint of his late sixties, and the prosthetic makeup is unbelievably believable. The cinematography by PC Sreeram is top notch and Illyaraja's score is beautiful. Director Balki does well as he avoids schmaltz in favor of witty lines.

However the editing could've used a once-over as 'Paa' constantly veers off focus roving into unwanted, uninteresting territory. The transition from comedy to drama is jarring. The scene where Abhishek Bachchan attacks the media comes off as amateurish and clumsy, and the extra-smug Jr B ends up looking pretty silly in the process. Jaya Bachchan's cameo during the beginning credits was a daft idea as well.

Flaws aside, 'Paa' is still very enjoyable as it celebrates the unique qualities which make special people shooting stars. There are a couple of scenes that will have most people watery-eyed. Watch it for Big B, who is at his versatile best here.

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Movie Review Everybody's Fine

“Everybody's Fine” is a quiet, light study in family dysfunction, a comedy-drama with no heroes or villains, just sad people who aren't necessarily telling the truth when somebody asks, “Are you happy?”

That's become an important question to Frank Goode (Robert DeNiro), a widowed retiree whose four adult children won't make the time to visit now that Mom has died.

Frank resolves to drop in on each of the four — surprise visits. They tell him “everybody's fine” on those rare occasions he gets each of them on the phone. But he wants the truth. Kirk (“Nanny McPhee”) Jones' movie never finds a tone that it's comfortable with as Frank amusingly bores fellow train and bus travelers with tales of his work and his family.

Contrast that with each visit to his offspring — Kate Beckinsale in Chicago, Drew Barrymore in Las Vegas, Sam Rockwell in Denver. Dad observes what the kids might have once told Mom, but not him.

The movie has one open secret and a few “reveals” — including the kids' efforts to solve problems involving the sibling we don't meet.

The patient pace and subtle disappointment the kids feel about their lives, disappointment that they worry will be shared by Dad, make for a movie of no cathartic confrontations.

A contrived and melodramatic third act seems out of character and abrupt.
But DeNiro's winning, thoughtful performance and matching work from those cast as his kids make this dramedy a tolerably sober alternative to holiday froth at the mutliplex.

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The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

At fifty, Pippa Lee positively glows with female serenity, the devoted wife of a brilliant publisher thirty years her senior, proud mother of successful twins and a lovely and adored friend and neighbor.

But, when her husband spontaneously decides that they should leave New York for a retirement home as a "pre-emptive strike against decrepitude," and has an affair with someone even younger than she is, Pippa finds her beatific persona unraveling in alarming ways.

The truth is, the gracious woman of the present day has seen more than her fair share of the wild side. She has finally found love and security in a family of her own. And now, that cozy world, too, is in danger.

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