Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail

Before seen the movie I had this movie pictured as a non stop comedy. After seen the movie I was truly shocked. Yes it had some damn good humor but I have never seen a comedy go alongside with serious and realistic social problems. Really good presentation by Tyler Perry.

Review: Bronson (2009)

Really interesting biographical movie about the most violent prisoner in England (Michael Gordon Peterson).
I don't think that the artist narrating method is suitable for a movie like this. Sometime it made the film really boring.

Movie does not try to justify anything. In the end we are left clueless on weather to feel sorry for him or not. Really good acting by Tom Hardy replicating a man who is completely don't care about the results for his actions.

Starring Tom Hardy

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

Distributed by Vertigo Films

Running time: 92 minutes

Rating: 7/10 (Bronson)

Review: Kikujiro (1999)

The first thing I love about this movie is the soundtracks. They are so touching and beautiful. Takeshi Kitano is famous for violent films like Sonatine, I thought with no action Takeshi will look dumb, boy I was so wrong. His performance was really great not only acting even the directing. Even the camera angles were different than a regular movie. Packed with humor this is a wonderful heart warming movie.

Story: Masao a small kid on a journey to find his mother paired up with a unlikely travel partner, an ex-yakuza bad mannered Kikujiro.

Starring Takeshi Kitano, Yusuke Sekiguchi

Directed by Takeshi Kitano

Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics (US)

Running time: 121 minutes

Rating: 8/10 (Kikujiro)

Review: The Horsemen (2009)

Good thriller. Kept the suspense all along with a unexpected twist in the end. Zhang Ziyi was super creepy. It had some shocking moments that completely takes you by surprise. Serial killing, Biblical prophecy (Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse), Gore, physiological suspense. What else do you need to keep your attention :)

Plot: Detective who is distant from his kids and lonely from his wife's death tries to solve a string of killings that were done by a religious cult who calls themselves Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. He soon finds out that he also has links to the murders.

I didn't like the ending. It just ended pretty quick.

Starring Dennis Quaid, Zhang Ziyi

Directed by Jonas Åkerlund

Distributed by Lionsgate

Running time: 110 minutes

Rating: 7/10 (The Horsemen)

Review: The Ramen Girl (2009)

Cute, sweet, funny and at times a sad movie. I think Brittany Murphy is really suitable for her role. She just gives that spunky little spark the movie needs. You also get a good taste of Japanese culture and people. The movie made me really hungry and love Ramen.
Story was bit cheap and rusty. It gets worse to the end but really worth a watch.

Story is about a young American girl who was stranded in Japan when her boy friend just leaved her. Lost and confused she then started training to become a ramen chef under a very rude Japanese master.

Starring Brittany Murphy, Toshiyuki Nishida

Directed by Robert Allan Ackerman

Distributed by Media 8 Entertainment

Running time: 122 minutes

Rating: 8/10 (The Ramen Girl)

Review: Winged Creatures (2009)

I cannot really get the main point of this movie.
This plot had lot of potential been a thought provoking drama but it lacked a solid background that help us make sense of each character.
Not a bad story you should give it a try.

The story is about five individuals who are traumatize after surviving a random shooting at a Los Angeles diner.

Based on a novel by Roy Freirich with the same name

Starring Dakota Fanning, Forest Whitaker, Guy Pearce, Kate Beckinsale

Directed by Rowan Woods

Distributed by Columbia Pictures

Running time: 100 minutes

Rating: 6/10 (Winged Creatures)

Review: Waltz with Bashir (2008)

The first ever documentary I have seen done totally as an animation. The movie pace through in a different animation style. Story gradually take us on the journey of Ari Folman trying to dig up the lost horrible memories of 1982 Lebanon War.
As the movie digs deep we witness the disgusting horrors of the Sabra and Shatila massacre.
Sometimes I was puzzled to understand the message Ari Folman tried to convey, yes war stinks is the big message but he tried to convey something else I didn't completely understand.

Movie is in Hebrew. It's not that hard to follow the story reading the sub-titles.

Directed by Ari Folman

Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics

Running time: 86 minutes

Rating: 8/10 (Waltz with Bashir)

Review: Passchendaele (2008)

This maybe the best Canadian movie I ever seen. Nice story with good cinematography.
It is amazing to see that Paul Gross has directed, starred and written this fine movie. Very good details of war scenes that has the standards of Saving Private Ryan.
Movie has also successfully inserted a heart warming romance to it.

Story mainly resolve around troubled war veteran, a nurse who is his girl friend and her brother who is enlisted to fight in the bloody WW I battle of Passchendaele.

It's good to see these kind of movies so we can remember that their were lot more countries involved in the war that made a difference other than America.

This story is partly based on real life events.

Starring Paul Gross, Caroline Dhavernas, Joe Dinicol

Directed by Paul Gross

Distributed by Alliance Films

Running time: 114 minutes

Rating: 8/10 (Passchendaele)

Review: Milk (2008)

Part biography part documentary of Harvey Milk the American gay rights movement leader during 70's who was assassinated in 1978. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man elected to a USA political office. Acting was excellent by all cast and deserve an award. This movie will change your opinion if you are against gay men.

I felt uncomfortable when two men openly kiss and make love in the movie but when it comes to their rights, I think all men needs to have equal rights whatever their sexual orientation be.

Notable quote from the movie,
"I am not a candidate, I am part of a movement. The movement is the candidate."

Starring Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, James Franco

Directed by Gus Van Sant

Distributed by Focus Features

Running time: 128 minutes

Rating: 8/10 (Milk)

Review: The Lucky Ones (2008)

Really smooth and solid story with nice humor in it. Well thought out characters. Keeps you well entertained till the end. Cannot agree if someone tells that this movie is a war movie. I don't know why this movie is underrated.
Kind of a movie that makes you feel, "WOW I wish I could have seen more".

Story is about three soldiers returning from Iraq find themselves stuck together for a life changing Road trip to Vegas.

I hope more films like this, comes out very often.

Starring Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins, Michael Peña

Directed by Neil Burger

Distributed by Lionsgate

Running time: 115 minutes

Rating: 8/10 (The Lucky Ones)

Review: Frozen River (2008)

Emotional and silent look into a working class woman trying to make a better life for her two sons.
Frozen River has a documentary effect which makes us think that Melissa Leo's character is real.
Courtney Hunt tries to show us pure affection of two mothers who are willing to go into any danger for the betterment of their children. The movie silently tries to justify their actions with a humanistic touch.

Story is about two working class women struggling for a better life, involved in smuggling illegal immigrants to USA from Canada.

Worth all the nominations and awards. Great work by Courtney Hunt in her debut film.

Starring Melissa Leo, Misty Upham

Directed by Courtney Hunt

Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics

Running time: 90 minutes

Rating: 8/10 (Frozen River)

Review: What Doesn't Kill You (2008)

I have seen very few movies of Mark Ruffalo having a leading role. This must be one of the best in his career. Excellent performance by both starts Mark Ruffalo, Ethan Hawke.
I like the way how Mark Ruffalo's character transist between diffrent personalities.
Sometimes he's a bad-ass, drug addict and a struggling but loving father. The only complaint I have for this movies is that it's bit slow at times. So some viewer will think this is a boring story. If you can bare with the slow moments and watch the full movie, you can experience a realistic movie that shows how bad choices of life can ruin lives all around you.

Story is about Crime, Drugs, Alcohol and a man trying to raise living standards of his family which force him to do more crime.

(Based on real life events of the movie's director Brian Goodman.)

Starring Mark Ruffalo, Ethan Hawke, Amanda Peet

Directed by Brian Goodman

Distributed by Yari Film Group

Running time: 100 minutes

Rating: 7.5/10 (What Doesn't Kill You)

Review: Stop-Loss (2008)

Good story about war and stop loss policy. An emotional drama of real world soldiers torture mentally, physically and injustice from their own country. Realistic movie with powerful acting, worth a watch.

Story is about a war hero who returns home from completed tour duty in Iraq just to find out he is re enlisted again by the stop loss policy.

Innocent soldiers are scarified for power by corrupted leaders. Its really sad to see all this happening in this world. War sucks anywhere.

Starring Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, Abbie Cornish, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Directed by Kimberly Peirce

Distributed by Paramount Pictures

Running time: 112 minutes

Rating: 7/10 (Movie)

Review: The Uninvited (2009)

Really good Psychological thriller. Worth a watch. I'm not going to tell anything much because you only need two words to spoil the whole movie. I could have enjoyed it more if I knew very little about the movie. Horror scenes were good but not hardcore like a complete horror movie. Acting was very good by all the cast specially Emily Browning.

Story is about a young girl who returns from a mental institution to her home. She finds it difficult to cope with her fathers new cruel girl friend and the memories of her dead mother.

This movie is an American remake of the South Korean horror movie "A Tale of Two Sisters"

Starring Emily Browning, Arielle Kebbel, Elizabeth Banks, David Strathairn

Directed by Charles Guard, Thomas Guard

Distributed by DreamWorks, Paramount Pictures

Running time: 87 minutes

Rating: 8/10 (The Uninvited)

Review: Crossing Over (2009)

Very moving story. Deep look into USA immigration, shows us both sides.
Dramatic and progressive presentation. If you liked "CRASH" you will like this movie.
Harrison Ford is doing a very good job in his intense character.

Story is about struggles of immigrants in USA to achieve legal status. Story Switch between Mexican, Jews, Islamic, Australian wanna be actress and Korean immigrants.

What I don't understand is why people just don't stay in their motherland and do something to build their own country. Why risk everything and come to be treated as an Alien and low level. In the end they return to their own country disgracing his/her own country.

Starring Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd

Directed by Wayne Kramer

Distributed by The Weinstein Company

Running time: 113 minutes

Rating: 8/10 (Crossing Over)

Review: The International (2009)

Good political thriller with powerful message. Very loosely based on true events.
First 30 minutes is very slow and boring but it picks up momentum and keep you interested. There is some action too.
plot is somewhat similar to Lord of war. Not a shoot 'em up movie, the story build up gradualy with slow pace.

Story is about a Interpol agent trying to bring down a bank that is involved in a huge arms deal scam.

Best quote in the movie, regarding war and banking industry by Umberto Calvini the Italian prime ministerial candidate.

The IBBC is a bank, their objective isn't to control the conflict, Its to control the debt the conflict produces. You see the real value of a conflict, the true value is in the debt that it creates. You control the debt you control everything.

You find this upsetting, yes but this is the very essence of the banking industry. To make us all weather we be nations or individuals slaves to debt.

Starring Clive Owen, Naomi Watts

Directed by Tom Tykwer

Distributed by Columbia Pictures

Running time: 118 minutes

Rating: 8/10 (The International)

Review: Synecdoche, New York (2008)

Different and twisted story. Really a depressing movie. Cannot say I enjoyed it much but I loved the acting by Hoffman.
I like serious movies but this one is very weird.

Story is about a theater director who is tormented by life around him.

Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman

Directed by Charlie Kaufman

Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics

Running time: 124 minutes

Rating: 6/10 (Synecdoche, New York)

Review: He's Just Not That Into You (2009)

Nice interconnected story (Comedy) about misinterpretation and misunderstanding about obvious human behaviors in relationships. Movie has some funny parts, many laughing points are stupid ideas we have in life, so its kind of laughing at ourselves
This is kind of a Chick flick, so ladies you are gonna love this one.
I'm pretty sure that you'll find some part of this movie to be a documentary about your life.

Watch out for the Gigi's monologue in the end of the movie, you can learn lot from that.

Movie is based on a book by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo (Same name)

Surprisingly there are lot of big names in the movie,
Starring Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Justin Long, Ginnifer Goodwin, Bradley Cooper, Kevin Connolly

Directed by Ken Kwapis

Distributed by New Line Cinema

Running time: 129 minutes

Rating: 8/10 (He's Just Not That Into You)

Review: Swing Vote (2008)

I first thought this was a comedy. It turns out be a mix of good comedy and drama with a very big and strong message. This is a must for everyone. You won't regret watching this movie. The plot is pretty original with a superb ending.

Story is about entire presidential election been decided on one single vote. Bud Johnson who is an alcoholic and totally clueless on who to vote.

This movie shows us how everything around us is so commercialized. The bottom line is power and money nothing else.

Interesting quote from the movie, told by Bud Johnson while reading a letter from a citizen.

"If this is one of the richest countries in the world, why is it so many of us can barely afford living here?"

Starring Kevin Costner (Earnest "Bud" Johnson), Madeline Carroll (Molly Johnson)

Directed by Joshua Michael Stern

Distributed by Touchstone Pictures

Running time: 114 minutes

Rating: 8/10 (Swing Vote)

Review: Changeling (2008)

Great movie which I will remember for a long time. What is really shocking is to see that this movie is based on true events that happened in 1928 Los Angeles.

The story centers around Christine Collins struggle to find her missing child.
This movie take a deep look at political corruption, police corruption and treating women secondly back in 1920's.

We all must salute the courage of this one women who stood up for her rights and demand justice.

Watch out for your temper since you will get really mad seen the social injustices she faces.

Starring Angelina Jolie (Christine Collins)

Directed by Clint Eastwood

Studio: Imagine Entertainment, Malpaso Productions

Distributed by Universal Pictures

Running time: 141 minutes

Rating: 9/10 (Changeling)