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- 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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305 days, 305 films-Shortbus

Mar 16, 2010 by Sami

Film #8 Shortbus

“New York is where everyone comes to stop being alone”

“Don’t ever say that relationships’ normality lies in it’s complicated nature”

“I wanna do it by myself, in the dark, like a warm”

Last year, I was feeling a bit uncreative. I went to work, played with friends and traveled across the country but it still felt “odd”.  I know that many of you have felt that way at some point. It’s feeling stuck, claustrophobic and completely at a loss of creative energy.

I saw Shortbus many moons before that but didn’t really remember it well. When I told a friend about how I was feeling, she suggested I see it again. I own so it wasn’t going to take me a lot of effort to see it again.

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305 days, 305 films- Hard Candy

Mar 8, 2010 by Sami

Film #6 Hard Candy

Many people will tell you that Juno was Ellen Page‘s breakout roll. I beg to differ; I think Page’s breakout role was playing Hayley in Hard Candy. I just watched the trailer to refresh some of the missing pieces in my memory which only led to my heart rate increasing for the duration of the clip. I  realized then that I forgot how suspenseful this film is.

Why do I think Hard Candy is deserving of your time? Well, for once  Ellen Page is genius in it. She portrays one of the most innocent girls I have ever seen on film. At least for a little while. At the beginning of the film I might have actually yelled out “no don’t go with him, you’re so naive!”. Turns out, I was the one that was so naive. So was  Patrick Wilson‘s character, Jeff Kohlver. Also, the fact that the majority of Hard Candy is shot with only both Page and Wilson reinforces their impeccable acting skills because the duty of capturing the audience falls on, only, them; unlike most of the films labeled “thrillers” out there. For what might be my first time, I actually felt remorse for the bad guy. Want to know why? Check out Hard Candy at your local or cyber video rental store.

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