Six Movie Trailers that Will Make You Want to See the Feature

Nov 11, 2011 by Sami

Melancholia. Two sisters find their already strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new planet threatens to collide into the Earth.

Lucky. A wannabe serial killer wins the lottery and pursues his lifelong crush.

The Art of Getting By. George, a lonely and fatalistic teen who’s made it all the way to his senior year without ever having done a real day of work, is befriended by Sally, a popular but complicated girl who recognizes in him a kindred spirit.

One Day.  After spending the night together on the night of their college graduation Dexter and Em are shown each year on the same date to see where they are in their lives. They are sometimes together, sometimes not, on that day.

 The Sleeping Beauty. A young princess is the subject of a tug-of-war among witches, as each struggles to find the suitable antidote to a death sentence inculcated by an evil sister.

 Like Crazy. A British college student falls for an American student, only to be separated from him when she’s banned from the U.S. after overstaying her visa.

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5 Visually Pleasing Movies that are Actually Good

Aug 10, 2011 by Sami

There are a lot of visually stunning movies out there. However, few of them are ones that have a good plot, great character development and a smart direction. Here’s a list of 5 films that are great eye candy and won’t leave you feeling underwhelmed in terms of the story.

 

You already know how I feel about Sympathy for Lady Vengeance.  But in case you didn’t know you can click on link and find out why. One of the 43634 reasons I do love it is how beautiful it looks. Guns, blood and forests look absolutely stunning. Read my review for a more detailed description. Lady Vengeance is done very beautifully. I sometimes forget how gory it is because at the same time it is incredibly beautiful.

 

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Movies you should watch ASAP!

Apr 13, 2011 by Sami

I’ve fallen behind on my film reviews. To me they’re the hardest to write because it requires so much time and effort to explain the way I feel about a certain film and I never want to write less than what I feel. When a post usually takes me few hours to write, a film post usually takes few days. However, that should not be a reason to stop recommending movies based on what I’ve seen. Below find a list of four you should try your hardest to rent, buy or stream. I tried to write a short review of the movies. I might do this more often or I might go back to writing a detailed review once I have the time. I would love it if you tell me if you were happy with these mini reviews so I’ll know more about how to proceed. Thank you!

Lost in Translation is one of my favorites and not only because it’s one of the best portrays of Tokyo. Well, maybe that has a lot to do with it. I do think that, sometimes, to find yourself you have to travel across the world. Ask anyone that travels to somewhere foreign, away from the familiarity of their world and they’ll all agree with that to some extent. It may have to do with the fact that you can’t really turn to anyone else which forces you to have a conversation with yourself  and in turn enables you to learn more about yourself without the influence of outside opinions.  That may not be what Lost is about but I thought I’d throw it out there. Tokyo acts as a beautiful inspiring backdrop to a film about two strangers that find themselves teaching the other about what it is that makes them happy. It also has a really wonderful soundtrack. Above all, I think Lost has provided an excellent guide to tour Tokyo. I cannot imagine the staggering number of visits New York Bar at the Park Hyatt had and still has based on it’s use in Lost.

I’m a huge fan of women who kick butt and that’s why I love Jackie Brown. Jackie is not the “I’m going to save the world” kind of kick butt but “I’m going to try and get away with this extremely crazy plan” kind of kick butt. Pam Grier is perfect for the role as the tired of her mediocre life as a flight attendant. That’s why she gets in a lot of trouble and risks a whole lot of gun shots to see if she can score a win. This is Tarantino‘s follow up to Pulp Fiction so expect the same kind of heart pumping action, twists in characters’ motives and a language that your mom would not be comfortable hearing.

More than I’d like to experience, I’ve seen many films about the Arab world that over romanticize or exaggerates the life of people of the Middle East. Not The Yacoubian Building! Most notably the most expensive Arabic film ever made, possibly due to the fact that it was produced by an American company, Yacoubian will give the best available portrayal of Cairo in 2006. The movie dabbles with topics that are rarely (maybe never before) discussed in Egyptian cinema: corruption, religion, homosexuality, fundamentalism, sex and politics. If you’ve ever wondered about how awful or how wonderful life in Cairo is, then this is the movie for you. It touches several classes of the community so you’re not stuck on one person’s point of view.  It also has an extremely talented cast.

By no means I’m a fan of Scarlett Johansson. She just happens to be in another movie that I liked a lot. Match Point also stars  Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Emily Mortimer and directed by the loved (or hated) Woody Allen. I actually don’t think the trailer gives away one of the best parts of the movie which I loved so feel free to watch the trailer and expect it to be even better when you watch the movie. If you’re a fan of Crime and Punishment then you’ll see a resemblance between the book and the movie. Jonathan’s character is a retired pro-tennis player who stumbles upon the good rich life via marriage to a wealthy bride. That would have been great for him but Scarlett shows up and makes his life a little bit more complicated. Not sure if it’s love or lust but it’s dangerous and it leads to unwanted fortunes for both Jonathan and Scarlett’s characters.

There you have it! Did you enjoy this format? Do you prefer longer reviews? Do tell!

 

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305 Days, 305 Films – Exit Through the Gift Shop

Feb 3, 2011 by Sami

I used to encourage everyone I knew to make art; I don’t do that so much anymore – Banksy

I do this (art) because I can’t do anything else – Jean Marie Casbarian

Film #10

Two hours into Exit Through the Gift Shop I think to myself that this is probably the most self-serving documentary I have ever seen! How can it insult my intelligence?! Thankfully I came to the resolution that I might as well finish watching it, I’ve already been sitting in front of the screen for 3 hours!

Note to self: The movie is actually 87 minutes long.

I am very happy I sat through Exit till the end to realize how great of a documentary it is. Exit touches on more than one subject that relates to art and what art is to people. I often have conversations about how it bugs me how “free” or “open” modern art is.  On one hand I think it’s an amazing outlet for so many to express their individuality but on the other, it gives rise to so many pseudo-artists.  Such is the case in Exit where we meet Thierry who decides, almost overnight, to become the next big “artist”. It’s quite terrifying to see him develop from beginning to end. Banksy described Theirry very well when he said: Warhol repeated iconic images until they became meaningless, but there was still something iconic about them. Thierry really makes them meaningless.

Exit also touches on the notion of why art is created. There are ones that would say that artists like Banksy, for example, is a stooge for wanting to create without thinking of profiting from art while Thierry is the winner here, having been able to transfer what he does (regardless of it being “real” art or not) into a big sum in his banking account. This could turn into pages and pages of debate. Can you even consider street graffiti as art? However, this is not the purpose of this post.

I would really like you to see it. To me Exit was a funny story about the birth of a crazy man who wanted to be an artist as great as ones he’s came to meet in a fraction of the time it took them to become as good as they are now. Just be patient with it and watch it all the way through. Even better it’s FREE!!! to view! Head over to Hulu and watch it on there.  It’s nominated for an Oscar, for best documentary, so try and see it before and let me know if you think it deserves the award! Also, drop me a comment once you’ve seen it or already have and let me know your thoughts. Maybe you can tell me who the joke is on…if there is any.

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305 days, 305 films – Broken English

Jul 7, 2010 by Sami

“Most people are together just so they are not alone. But some people want magic. I think you are one of those people”

Film #10- Broken English

The first time I saw Broken English I left the theater feeling uneasy about Guillaume, a French man who speaks little English and spending few days in NYC. Why? Because I felt he was a bit un-understanding with Nora, that he kept asking her to explain things that couldn’t be explained. I blamed it on the language barrier, I blamed it on his lack of empathy and I blamed it on the French people. It wasn’t until a friend told me that the point was that even though he spoke “broken English” he was still able to communicate with Nora very directly. It was her that over complicated things. It then hit me, we live in times where we do over-complicate feelings involved in relationships. Guillaume is there to show the audience how easy communicating between people can be. Things are a lot more straightforward than our head tends to lead us to believe. You either want something or you don’t, everything else is an excuse. Yes you can’t just pack your bags and leave but you can work towards that goal without blaming other factors that are irrelevant.

Nora is stuck in a funky place. Meeting a man at a party she almost didn’t go to changes a big part of her life. Sounds unrealistic? I don’t think so. I think that sometimes things do happen when you’re at the right time, the right place…and life is all about taking chances. I don’t think I have witnessed such a relatable character in some while. I’ve always enjoyed the quirkiness of Parker Posey and she does a fantastic job with Nora.  It’s the kind of character that you have to experience to come to the realization that you might have lived in her shoes at some point in your life.

This film is very sweet and at times very funny.  Broken English is available at your neighborhood video rental store and at Netflix. You can even watch it instantly on Netflix!

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305 days, 305 films- The September Issue

Apr 5, 2010 by Sami

Film #9 The September Issue

Just because you like to put on a beautiful Carolina Herrera dress or a pair of J Brand blue jeans instead of something basic from K-Mart it doesn’t mean that you’re a dumb person- Anna Wintour

I didn’t know what to expect when I started watching The September Issue except that it will be over-saturated with fashion and that was good enough for me.  I watched it and it was indeed over saturated with fashion and that made me happy. If that was the end of it I would have been satisfied but it wasn’t. The September Issue is actually a good documentary. Any person would enjoy watching it but it’s an even bigger joy if you’ve heard of Anna Wintour and the power she holds in the fashion industry.

Besides pupils dilating due to the abundance of fabulous fashion there were some interesting things going on in The September Issue.  Like the use of the “silent treatment” the film makers inflicted on some of the interviewees. When confronted with silence, often times, people will keep on talking and eventually say something that they did not intend to say. Furthermore, the use of music to manipulate the audience’s moods is, at times, too obvious. That said, I would not say it was a bad move, necessarily.

There is a point of The September Issue where you get to experience a  glimpse of Anna’s true feelings. I think that she wishes her family would recognize her importance in the world she lives in. Her 3 siblings are heavily involved with non-profit organizations and they are “amused” by what Anna does for a living. I respect her for going for what she wanted, growing up, and not falling in the trap of following foot steps of her family. She is desperate to get her family’s appreciation but knows that she wouldn’t be happier doing anything else.

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