Art & Copy (Movie Review)
08.20.2009 | By SBC Staff |
Walking out of the theater I couldn’t help but think to myself “I can’t wait to sell this movie to our readers!” Read More
08.20.2009 | By SBC Staff |
Walking out of the theater I couldn’t help but think to myself “I can’t wait to sell this movie to our readers!” Read More
08.19.2009 | By Karen Posada |
Rated: PG-13 for mature sexual content, language and thematic material.
Release Date: 2009-08-21
Starring: Issa López
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Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.casidivas.com/
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I have to admit that neither the title nor the trailer would have made me go see Casi Divas; I came out of the movie theater surprised at how fun and interesting it was.
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The film was a hit in Mexico which is what helped launch it in the U.S. The plot of the movie is to find the main movie star for a soap opera turned movie. It sounds a little ridiculous but among the mockery of soap operas and other themes that make up the plot we stumble along some interesting themes such as: the racism of the indigenous people in Mexico, the way women factory workers at the border are abused by the coyotes, and a common theme among teenagers who try to follow Hollywood’s hype by doing extreme diets. The cast is made up by five women Patricia Llaca, Ana Layevska, Diana Garcia, Daniela Schmidt and Maya Zapata one stud Julio Bracho; each one of them offers a different view point and element to the story.
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The movie sticks to its roots by the way the characters speak and by having its setting in Mexico City in places where the locals live. The movie is in Spanish but the subtitles make it true to the American viewer, they even change some cultural references so we can connect better to what the characters say when they refer to their cultural icons.
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The movie is well rounded, its audience (teenagers, adults) will not be disappointed thanks to the different cultural themes that it touches upon along with the mockery and slapstick comedy; it has something to offer everyone, it is a movie that will surprise many.
08.14.2009 | By SBC Staff |
Rated: R for bloody violence and pervasive language.
Release Date: 2009-08-14
Starring: Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
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Country: USA, South Africa
Official Website: http://www.d-9.com/
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‘District 9’ is the must-see summer film of 2009! It is really two films in one – a thought-provoking political and social documentary combined with stylized action packed CG film with all the bells and whistles. The direction of the film allows the story to rise to a crescendo at the very end satisfying even the non sci-fi cinephiles.
This is a smart film like those who too infrequently visit our multiplexes. The premise is a bit intricate since it deals with various social layers such as racism, bigotry, immigration, corruption, but with a quirky and entertaining twist. An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on District 9 in South Africa, suddenly find a kindred spirit in a government agent that is exposed to their biotechnology. To reveal anymore would be to give away the movie.
What is wonderful about the movie is how director Neil Blomkamp manages to intertwine several genres with success: off-beat comedy, drama and sci-fi action. His use of handheld cameras at the start build an eery tension that gives out a vibe that what you’re watching is factual. Not bad for a fictional movie.
The acting is solely centered around the character Wilkus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley), a klutzy man who works for the South African government and whose job it is to lead the aliens to a new location. His first day in this position ends with him in the hospital, having been contaminated by an alien fluid – and that’s where his personal nightmare begins.
Peter Jackson, director of Lord of the Rings, produced the movie, adding an internationally revered name to the credits that will doubtless help in marketing. District 9 speaks with a loud, clear voice and by defying as many science fiction conventions as it embraces, it becomes a singular movie-going experience. For fans of the genre, the summer of 2009 will be remembered by the films ‘Moon’ and ‘District 9’
08.14.2009 | By Jack Rico |
Rated: R for sexual content, nudity, pervasive language and some drug material.
Release Date: 2009-08-14
Starring: Neal Brennan
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Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.livehardsellhard.com/
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‘The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard’ is really funny, whoever tells you otherwise is probably as cold as an ice bucket. The opening scene should tell you everything. I laughed in the first ten seconds, really hard! It’s the second half that withers away, the story line weakens and the jokes start becoming repetitive and dull. Overall though, the film still manages to entertain and engage you enough for you to have felt like you didn’t waste your money at the box office.
A legendary car salesman, Don Ready (Jeremy Piven) whose job it is to save a car dealership in the town of Temecula, California from bankruptcy. What Don doesn’t expect is to fall in love and find his soulmate, which will eventually be a deterrent to achieving his goals.
The characters here are great, the dialogue is fast and yes, vulgar, and the fact that it all takes place in car dealership is cheap and amusing already. Piven brings his Ari Gold persona to the mix and if you like him in Entourage, you won’t mind him here. The only real flaw with the film is in the execution of the storyline in the second half. It falters with an inane romantic story that should’ve never taken off.
Think the Will Farrell films, if you have laughed hard at those you won’t have a problem in laughing your a$$ off on this one.
08.12.2009 | By Karen Posada |
The Time Traveler’s Wife really tries to fly through time with a fast-paced beginning. The love story will captivate you and may make you fight back your tears, but the film loses its essence as the story unfolds.
The time traveler, Henry (Eric Bana), disappears into time because of a genetic anomaly, which makes this film sort of sci-fi, since it is, after all, from a screenplay by Bruce Joel Rubin, who wrote Ghost. He seems to want to recapture this story once again but fails at it. Clare (Rachel McAdams) has more of an imaginary friend at times than a husband in Henry; her side of the story keeps the film more grounded. We see an element of sadness and loneliness in her life because of Henry’s off-and-on appearances, which we can relate to. The story just gets weirder and more surreal as the movie continues, which makes the plot shaky.
The book, which was very successful, should not have come to life, at least not on the big screen. The film touches upon an interesting dilemma between whether our choices have been made for us or if we have free will when dealing with the past and future. Henry is able to travel from the present to both the past and the future, but it gets so complicated that the main character ends up competing for his own wife with his old and young selves.
Since the story is told by the way their romance unfolds, not by the passing of time, there is some rhythm that one can follow. One thing viewers can look forward to is a couple of nude scenes spread throughout the film. You may go and enjoy the romance of the story, but don’t expect to get much out of it.
08.12.2009 | By Karen Posada |
Rated: PG for mild action and brief language.
Release Date: 2009-08-14
Starring: Hayao Miyazaki
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Country: Japan
Official Website: http://www.ghibli.jp/ponyo/
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Ponyo turns from a sweet simple children’s story to a convoluted drama that is even hard for adults to follow. It does send out a good message though, of love and kindness towards the ocean, but the story revolves around too many surreal things that even for a children’s film is hard to get in tune with.
This new animated film by Hayao Miyazaki an Academy Award winner is a heartwarming film about a boy and his pet fish who fight the entire ocean, literally, to stay together. Its cast is composed mainly of stars from the Disney Channel such as Noah Cyrus, Frankie Jonas and Selena Gomez who is of Mexican background and surprisingly does a lot of the minor character’s voices. Some of the other big stars are Tina Fey, Cate Blanchett, Liam Neeson and Matt Damon who has a very small role in the film.
Seeing that the film had great success in Japan, there is potential for it to achieve the same results in the U.S., but the film’s turn from a simple story to a convoluted apocalyptic end of the world as we know it, may bore, confuse and disappoint many children. The film sticks close to its Japanese culture with minor elements to incorporate American viewers such as a change in a few character’s names. It is almost 2 hours long which will make it lose its intended audience after the first hour. Although it is a little too unreal at times and one has to struggle to not criticize, judge the story or some of the character’s actions, those who enjoy anime may still like the film even if just for its roots. The rest of you should just wait for it to come out on DVD.
08.6.2009 | By Jack Rico |
*Updated 2026
In 2026, when twist thrillers are picked apart online before the credits roll, A Perfect Getaway shows how much a mystery depends on whether the audience feels ahead of the movie.
07.31.2009 | By SBC Staff |
Rated: R for language and crude sexual humor throughout, and some sexuality.
Release Date: 2009-07-31
Starring: Judd Apatow
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Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.funnypeoplemovie.com/
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‘Funny People’ does not live up to the Apatow hype. It never even gets close to what his two previous fantastic films achieved in the genre of comedy. Much of its demise is attributed to its story which is told in a choppy and uneven manner. There’s some good material here, but the movie rambles more than the human attention span can tolerate.
The premise is succint. It’s about a famous comedian (Adam Sandler) who has a near-death experience and then goes through a self exploration phase which will make him see the world in a whole different light. Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Jonah Hill and newcomer Aubrey Plaza, of Puerto Rican decent, also star.
I have to admit, by looking at the trailer, I thought ‘Funny People’ was going to be a critically acclaimed film worthy of an Oscar, if it was executed correctly. Regrettably, it never quenched my personal expectations. Is it all bad? Absolutely not. There are some very funny moments, but they are dispersed all over the story like broken glass. It’s refreshing to see Apatow branching out and trying something off the beaten path but, in this case, his sense of ambition may have caused him to lose his way. It’s a brave move that is partially undone by pacing problems and a lack of focus. ‘Funny People’ clocks in at nearly 2 1/2 hours, and that’s too long for any comedy.
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Most of you might not know of Puerto Rican comedian Aubrey Plaza, but you will after this movie. In her short and underdeveloped role, Aubrey’s shy, witty demeanor made her on-screen presence a memorable one.
If you’re a fan of Adam Sandler and Judd Apatow’s sexually charged joke marathons, there is some of it here for you to enjoy, but overall, the film is no doubt a drama that might turn off hardcore loyalists.
07.30.2009 | By Alex Florez |
Those of you familiar with South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook know exactly what to expect from his latest film, Thirst. For those of you that aren’t, allow me to introduce you to one of the more fearless storytellers around. Read More
07.23.2009 | By Jack Rico |
Rated: R for disturbing violent content, some sexuality and language.
Release Date: 2009-07-24
Starring: David Johnson, Alex Mace
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Country: USA
Official Website: http://orphan-movie.warnerbros.com/
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Spanish helmer Jaume Collet-Serra begins ‘Orphan’ like your usual thriller, with scare alerts and false alarms, but it then becomes savagely violent and because it’s source is an innocent child, that savagery is heightened to a surreal peak that makes one twitch and uncomfortable. The first hour is a pure frightful delight, but it’s second half discombobulates into a typical, laughable yet unpredictable Hollywood fare.
So you have an idea of the story, some have compared this film to ‘The Good Son’ starring Macaulay Culkin, but the similarities stop at the first half. ‘Orphan’ is the mother load of all evil child movies. It’s sick and beyond anything you’d expect. The script has parts where it is absurd and ridiculous, but what about ‘Friday the 13th’ and ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ movies and we all love it, don’t we? Orphan is actually better than those films. The first half is as good as any suspense movie as I’ve seen since The Strangers, regrettably the rest of the film cannot be defended. What it could have been.
In this premise, the tragic loss of a couples’ (Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard) unborn child has devastated them. It has taken a toll on both their marriage and Kate’s fragile psyche as she is plagued by nightmares and haunted by demons from her past. Struggling to regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives, the couple decides to adopt young 10 year old girl. At the local orphanage, both John and Kate find themselves strangely drawn to a young girl named Esther. Almost as soon as they welcome Esther into their home, however, an alarming series of events begins to unfold, leading Kate to believe that there’s something wrong with Esther – this seemingly angelic little girl is not what she appears to be. Concerned for the safety of her family, Kate tries to get John and others to see past Esther’s sweet facade.
Director Jaume Collet-Serra is known in the circles for making the horror remake ‘House of Wax’ co-starring one rich and young Paris Hilton. This is by far a better offering than the aforementioned. The protagonists Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga are well-cast in the role, however, the manner in which the movie handles the other children, Daniel and Max, are perturbing. The film uses them as pawns in a demented game of danger and peril.
The climax is rather startling, combining the logic of the situation with audacity in exploiting its terror. Yet you have to hand it to ‘Orphan.’ You want a good horror film about a child from hell, you got one. This film is not for minors and I say this with all frankness, do not take children to see it. You’ll thank me for it later.
