Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Movie Review : Begin Again

During the announcement of this year's Oscars nominees, a song called Lost Stars was mentioned as a nominee for the best original song category. The song is taken from the movie entitled Begin Again, starring Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine, Hailee Steinfeld, James Corden, etc. I had known about this movie for a while when I heard about the nomination, but I hadn't seen it and knew nothing about the song. After the announcement, I listened to the song and immediately fell in love with it. And then I decided to see the movie, and then I fell in love with it too.

So Begin Again  is about two lonely people, Gretta (Knightley) and Dan (Ruffalo). Gretta is a talented singer-songwriter who gets betrayed by her rock star boyfriend Dave (Levine) while Dan is a music producer who gets fired by his business partner. Dan thinks Gretta is the great discovery that can help him get his job back. Then, they start working on Gretta's demo with their friends, but the process turns out to be more than just a recording process: it makes the two realize what they really want in this life, what they want to do with their music, and so much more.


This movie made me cry A LOT. This is not even a sad movie but I did cry so much. It is just so natural and sweet and cute; it just touches my heart. The story is about music and, to be honest, I'm not really a "music" person. But this story makes me see music through the eyes of the people who love it so deeply. I can see how music magically fixes a broken family, how it makes a broken teenage girl smile again, how it can make you understand things that cannot be spoken, how it contains all the feelings inside its writer's heart. It's just beautiful.

It is so easy for me to relate to Gretta. She is lonely and loves someone, who wastes her love, like a fool. She turns her feelings into songs and doesn't care about what people think about her songs because they are hers, not theirs. She gets tempted by that foolish love when her ex boyfriend wants her back but then she realizes that it's not what she wants. My favorite Gretta scene is near the end of the movie, where Dave sings their song, Lost Stars, and Gretta watches him with a smile. The happiness in her face slowly fades and then she runs away. Her heart is broken. I'm not sure about this because it's never explicitly explained in the movie, but I think, at that moment, she realizes that she doesn't want to be with Dave anymore. I think she realizes that things can never go back to they way they used to be. I could really feel her heartbreak in that scene. And then cried like a baby haha.

Keira Knightley plays Gretta very naturally and beautifully in this movie, but James Corden, who plays Steve, is definitely the scene-stealer. I really love his scenes with Keira. They're so natural and don't look like they're scripted. Their scenes together look like a video of two real, drunk friends chatting. And then there's Hailee Steinfeld, who plays Dan's daughter, Violet. Her character always tries to look tough and careless but she is actually really sweet at heart. I just can't stand her cuteness.

Another thing that I adore from this movie is, of course, Lost Stars, the song. I really love the Adam Levine version (that's the one in the scene that made me cry) but Keira's version is also nice and so natural. Ehm how many times have I said the word "natural"? Well the movie IS really natural.


So I think Begin Again deserves more recognition and everyone should see it. The movie is so beautiful. It is the kind of movie that would make you smile and cry at the same time; the kind that brings warmth to your heart.

Rating : 4/5

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Movie Review : The Imitation Game

I saw The Imitation Game! It is, similar The Theory of Everything, a biopic of a genius British man with a lovable British actor playing the lead role that gets nominated in all the awards this year. If Theory has Stephen Hawking, this one has Alan Turing, a British mathematician who is known as the father of computer science. The movie focuses on Turing's contribution in the British government's secret project during World War II. Turing and a group of code breakers must decode messages that are sent by the Germans which contain the information about their upcoming attacks to England. Turing's work helps save so many people and shorten the war, but no one knows about his heroic act because the government decides to keep it a secret. Ironically, Turing gets recognized and punished by the government for being gay, which is illegal at that time.

The movie's most memorable quote

First of all, I do NOT understand anything about the encryption and the computer science things that they talk about in this movie (hahahaha). So please don't expect me to talk about it.

The most fascinating thing about this movie for me is the main character, Alan Turing, and the way he is portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch. He is, like, the most human character I've ever seen in a movie. He has all the sides in human personality. He is smart, but very arrogant. He can be the most irritating person in the world, but he can be ridiculously funny as well. Sometimes he appears to be heartless, but at other times he shows that he has the capability to care so much about something, or someone. He achieves something that no one can even imagine, but he experiences painful loss too. Sometimes he looks like a robot that has no feelings, but at one moment we get to see him crying his heart out like... a human. There is one scene where Turing asks, "What am I? Am I a machine? Am I a person?". I find the questions very heartbreaking because, like I've stated, he is the most human character I've ever seen. The screenwriter writes the character very well, and Mr Cumberbatch plays it beautifully. I'm amazed.

Besides the insanely famous and talented Benedict Cumberbatch, there is a group of other actors who are really fun to watch in this movie. There is the beautiful Keira Knightley as Joan Clarke, the only woman in Turing's team. The character is, like, the coolest woman. She's intelligent, very determined, sensitive, kind and, of course, breathtakingly beautiful (Keira always looks beautiful in 1940s make up and costume, doesn't she?). And then there is Matthew Goode as Hugh Alexander, who is very charming and smart (I love guys who is smart and charming haha). I enjoy watching Allen Leech as John too. There is a shocking thing about John that is revealed near the end of the movie and it really shocks me because he is always very likable throughout the movie.

I tend to forget mentioning this aspect in my reviews but I don't forget this time, the score of this movie is so beautiful! It is composed by the famous composer Alexandre Desplat, who also worked on my other favorite films such as Harry Potter and Benjamin Button. I also love the costumes and the sets of the movie. This movie is so good for your eyes to see.

Lastly, I think the story that this movie delivers is still relevant in our era. In this era, we can still see people get discriminated and even punished for being gay, for being fat, for having a skin color that is different from other people, for choosing a certain religion and for doing other little, personal things. We can still see how people's extraordinary talents and great achievements get completely ignored while the little, personal things about them get judged. This movie can make us think again about how we treat other people.

To conclude, The Imitation Game is remarkable. The message, the performances, the story and the characters are crafted so beautifully and carefully, which creates something very powerful.

Rating : 4/5

Monday, January 12, 2015

My Favorites at the Golden Globes!

  The 72nd Golden Globe Awards was held yesterday and I am so happy because one of my favorite actors Eddie Redmayne won in the Best Actor - Drama category! Emma Stone didn't win the best supporting actress title but I think it's awesome enough for her just to be nominated, and she looked stunning in her jumpsuit! 


Another winner from Theory of Everything team is composer Johann Johannsson. He composed the score for the Stephen Hawking movie and won in the Best Score category. I know nothing about the technical things in music, but I think he truly deserves this award. The music is just so beautiful and soothing. Listening to the score of Theory of Everything always reminds me of the main message of the movie: "While there is life, there is hope." I think it's amazing that Mr Johannsson could capture that message in the score. 

So here's the Golden Globe winning score of The Theory of Everything by Johann Johannsson. My personal favorite is the first track, Cambridge, 1963. Enjoy!


Monday, January 5, 2015

My 2015 Movie List

I know it's a bit late but HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Besides making a list of new year resolutions, making a list of anticipated movies is also a must for me at the beginning of every year. Making that list just makes me so excited to start the new year, and excitement is a good thing to start a new year with, right? So here are the 2015 movies that I can't wait to see.



15. FIFTY SHADES OF GREY
Release Date : February 13 2015 (USA)
Director : Sam Taylor-Wood
Cast : Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson, etc.
Synopsis : A literature student (Johnson) has her life twisted as she begins having a steamy love affair with a charming businessman, Christian Grey (Dornan).
Why I want to see it : Well, I just want to know what makes the story (which is based on a book series that beats Harry Potter as the best-selling book series of all time) so phenomenal despite the negative reviews that it receives.


14. SPECTRE
Release Date : November 6 2015 (USA)
Director : Sam Mendes
Cast : Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Monica Belluci, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, etc.
Synopsis : James Bond (Craig) must work to reveal the truth behind a cryptic message.
Why I want to see it : I've never actually seen a Bond movie until I saw Skyfall, which I think is great. Knowing that the director and the main cast of Skyfall are returning for this one makes me optimistic about this movie.

13. IN THE HEART OF THE SEA
Release Date : March 13 2015
Director : Ron Howard
Cast : Chris Hemsworth, Ben Whishaw, Cillian Murphy, etc.
Synopsis : A group of whalers encounters a giant whale (it's a whale and it's giant; it must be SO big...), gets attacked by it and struggles to stay alive in the open sea.
Why I want to see it : When I spotted the phrase "a giant whale", I thought this was a fantasy movie. But, nope, it's based on a true story that inspires the novel Moby Dick. That makes me want to know the story. The trailer looks good too.


12. CRIMSON PEAK
Release Date : October 16 2015 (USA)
Director : Guillermo del Toro
Cast : Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Charlie Hunnam, etc.
Synopsis : A young author (Wasikowska) is lured by a charming man (Hiddleston) and is brought to his old house. There, she finds some unexpected things, such as a jealous sister (Chastain) and skeletons in the closet.
Why I want to see it : Actually, I'm not a fan of horror movies (or Tom Hiddleston), but this one is directed by Guillermo del Toro, a director who is known for visually stunning films that have unique stories. After seeing the spooky images from this movie, I imagine it would be "a nightmare dressed like a daydream" (Why am I using Taylor Swift's song lyric? Hahaha). Creepy, but beautiful.

11. TOMORROWLAND
Release Date : May 22 2015 (USA)
Director : Brad Bird
Cast : George Clooney, Britt Robertson, etc.
Synopsis : A genius man (Clooney) and a teenage girl (Robertson) team up to unveil the secrets of a mysterious place caught between time and space.
Why I want to see it : I first found out about this movie from its teaser trailer. The trailer doesn't show much but is very, very intriguing. The premise reminds me of Interstellar a bit (especially the ending part), but I bet this one will be more family-friendly because it's a Disney movie.


10. EX MACHINA
Release Date : April 10 2015 (USA)
Director : Alex Garland
Cast : Oscar Isaac, Domhnal Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, etc.
Synopsis : A computer coder (Gleeson) wins a chance to meet the CEO of his company (Isaac) only to find out that he is being used in an experiment that involves a female A.I. (Vikander).
Why I want to see it : The trailer is very intriguing. It's a bit similar to Spike Jonze's Her, I think, but the sci-fi elements seem to be more dominant here.



9. THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
Release Date : May 1 2015 (USA)
Director : Joss Whedon
Cast : Robert Downey Jr., James Spader, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, etc.
Synopsis : The superhero gang has to team up once again to face a new enemy named Ultron (Spader) and meets two newcomers, Quicksilver (Taylor-Johnson) and Scarlet Witch (Olsen).
Why I want to see it : To be honest, I just want to see Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen. Their characters seem to have big and mysterious roles in the movie, and they are great young actors. It's always nice to see talented young actors take roles in blockbuster movies and bring depth and humanity into the characters.


8. CINDERELLA
Release Date : March 13 2015 (USA)
Director : Kenneth Branagh
Cast : Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Richard Madden, etc.
Synopsis : Well, you know how the story goes...
Why I want to see it : The trailer is very beautiful. I love seeing movies that are visually beautiful. And the director, Kenneth Branagh (aka Professor Lockhart from Harry Potter hahaha), states that his Cinderella won't be a woman whose happiness is determined by whether she finds a man or not. I really love this idea as well.


7. THE LAST FIVE YEARS
Release Date : February 13 2015 (USA)
Director : Richard LaGravenese
Cast : Anna Kendrick, Jeremy Jordan, etc.
Synopsis : A love story of an actress (Kendrick) and a novelist (Jordan) which is told back and forth, from two perspectives, through songs, and ends with failure.
Why I want to see it : It's a musical and I love musicals! I mean, don't you wish you could sing your heart out like those people in musicals? Hahaha. I really like the premise as well; I've never seen a musical with this kind of story. Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan look (and sound) awesome too.


6. SILENCE
Release Date : TBA
Director : Martin Scorsese
Cast : Liam Neeson, Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, etc
Synopsis : Two Jesuit priests travel to Japan to find their mentor and spread the teachings of Christianity, but have to face violence as they carry out their mission.
Why I want to see it : It's directed by Martin Scorsese, whose movies are mostly Oscar-worthy, and based on a critically acclaimed novel. From the synopsis, it seems like the story is the kind that has an important message. And, yeah, Mr Andrew Garfield and his beard are in it. It's been a long time since I saw Andrew in a non-Spiderman movie like this.

5. JURASSIC WORLD
Release Date : June 12 2015 (USA)
Director : Colin Trevorrow
Cast : Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, etc.
Synopsis : A genetically-modified hybrid dinosaur is created for the legendary theme park to attract more visitors, but the project does not go well.
Why I want to see it : I saw one of the previous Jurassic movies when I was a kid and, man, those dinosaurs that eat humans gave me nightmares. The trailer of this new installment looks good, even though the story sounds mediocre. I imagine it would be like the latest version of Godzilla, which doesn't have an innovative story but depicts the dreadful atmosphere of being terrorized by giant monsters very well.


4. MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS
Release Date : September 18 2015 (USA)
Director : Wes Ball
Cast : Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Ki Hong Lee, Thomas Sangster, Rosa Salazar, etc.
Synopsis : Thomas (O'Brien) and his friends must face another phase of the mysterious trials run by an organization, which is also mysterious, called The Scorch Trials.
Why I want to see it : I really love the first book and movie of the saga, The Maze Runner. Even though I didn't enjoy the second book as much as I enjoyed the first one, knowing that Wes Ball and the whole cast are returning for the movie adaptation makes me optimistic about it. The Maze Runner movie is not identical with the book but the changes make me love the story even more. I hope they can do that again with this one.

3. JUPITER ASCENDING
Release Date : February 6 2015 (USA)
Director : Andy and Lana Wachowski
Cast : Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, etc.
Synopsis : Ehm the story is so complicated. I hope my explanation is correct. The Earth turns out to be a planet seeded by a royal alien family to be harvested as soon as the people in it (aka us) reach the Darwinian state of perfection. And then there is Jupiter (Kunis), an ordinary woman from Earth who is believed to be the reincarnartion of some kind of queen in the royal family, which threatens the position of Balem (Redmayne), the eldest child in the royal family, and makes him want her dead.
Why I want to see it : The story is an original one, which is so rare these days, and it is written by the Wachowskis, the creators of The Matrix. They successfully mix science-fiction and philosophy in The Matrix so I'm curious about what they have in Jupiter Ascending. What I really want to know is why the main character who comes from Earth is named after another planet (Jupiter). There has to be something about it hahaha. And, yes, Eddie Redmayne plays the villain here.


2. THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2
Release Date : November 20 2015 (USA)
Director : Francis Lawrence
Cast : Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, etc.
Synopsis: This final installment in The Hunger Games saga is the continuation of Mockingjay Part 1 where Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) leads the revolution against the Capitol.
Why I want to see it : I want to know how it ends. I haven't read the book but I read somewhere that the ending is not like how non-readers expect, which makes me curious. Well, I need to watch Part 1 first (I missed the movie because I was badly ill when it was released *sigh*).

1. STAR WARS EPISODE VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS
Release Date : December 18 2015 (USA)
Director : J.J. Abrams
Cast : Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Lupita Nyong'o, Oscar Isaac, etc.
Synopsis : Err I don't know, they keep it a secret.
Why I want to see it : It's Star Wars everybody! STAR WARS! It is one of my favorite sagas ever. I have no idea how the story would be like because the Darth Vader story, which connects all the previous episodes, has ended. But it's directed by J.J. Abrams and I believe he wouldn't disappoint us. I love what he did with Star Trek and I believe he could resurrect the legendary Star Wars saga in an awesome way. Here's the the first trailer of The Force Awakens, which made me scream and cry hahaha.



Hope these exciting movies can bring some excitement into the new year!