5 stars

Inception

It’s been a while since I wrote a movie review. This is mostly because with all the crappy films that came out recently, I lost my inspiration for a bit. I’m glad to report that my inspiration is back on track. How could it not be, with the film like “Inception“, which I went to see in the movies on Saturday night?

We, the non-14-years-old audience, were waiting for this or similar movie for a really long time now. It’s everything you want from a movie and more – it’s smart, it’s engaging, it’s entertaining, it’s thought-provoking, it’s pleasant to look at, and it gives you something to talk about for days after. I’ve heard plenty of positive reviews of this movie. And I’m sure I haven’t heard even a tiny bit of them – currently the film is #3 in IMDB’s Top 250 films of all times.

For me personally, the movie was quite a surprise. It is similar in different details to so many other movies, yet it is unique, standing on its own, and way better than most. While a lot of people, of course me included, enjoyed the twisted story, I was mostly taken away by the visuals. The combination of great visual effects and outstanding photography are break-taking. It is on par with the bullet-time photography of “The Matrix”, adjusted for a years that pasted. In particular – two scenes that were jaw-dropping: bending of the city, which is partially seen on the poster, and the fight in the hotel corridor. During these two scenes I almost totally forgot what the movie was about – it looked so great, that I had a huge “Wow!” sign occupying all space inside my head.

I’ll say even more. Do you remember when the “Avatar” movie came out? It was great, wasn’t it? But you had to use the 3D glasses which were annoying, and you sorta had to see the movie, because there was so much hype about it. These two things for me were a bit offsetting. I was expected it to be great. I had to force myself to wear the glasses. “Inception” on the other hand was totally unexpected, and it came in 2D (thank you whoever made that decision). I went to see a twisted story with Leonardo DiCaprio, and I what I got out of it was so much more.

Anyways, I can talk about this movie for hours. But I’d rather do it with people who saw it. So, don’t miss out your chance – movies of this superb quality don’t come out that often. Do yourself a favor and see it in the cinema. It pretty much requires the big screen. It’s so good that I’ll probably go see it again, and end up buying a DVD or something.

Absolutely a 5 out of 5. Highly recommended.

The Men Who Stare at Goats

I got my hands on “The Men Who Stare at Goats” movie. I saw the trailer a few times in the cinema and was waiting for it to start, but either I missed it altogether or the scheduling was changed. Anyway, watched this one in the comfort of my own home. To be honest, this is not being a major visual effects movie or a new 3D silliness, I think I didn’t lose much by missing the big screen.

In short – I really enjoyed this film. It is original, weird, funny, and smart. The casting is awesome and all these people have a place to act and a role to play – outstanding performances from all of them, including the goat.

If you are not sure whether you should see this film or not – think Coen brothers. Even though they have nothing to do with this film (as far as I know), it feels like something that they would have done. If you enjoyed any of their work – this film is definitely for you. It has the same weird story, irony, and a thin line between a joke and truth. Beautiful work and very engaging. It’s one of those films where you are so busy watching it that you don’t have the time to think and predict how it will end and where the story is taking you. It’s a roller-coaster – enjoy it while it runs.

Rating this movie doesn’t feel right, because it doesn’t compare much to anything else and stands on its own, like a piece of art that it is. But I’ll give it a 5 out of 5, even though there were bits that I’d love to see changed. Well deserved. We need more movies that can take audience by surprise and engage them through the whole film and not just the first 3 minutes.

Shutter Island

Even though I am a fan of both Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio and most of their works together, I didn’t want to watch “Shutter Island“. Why? Because of the trailer.

I saw the trailer several times. And every time I saw it, I thought exactly the same: “It looks nice, but it’s just not my type of the movie”. Trailer seemed to show full plot and all the highlights of the movie. And what I saw wasn’t something to bring me in.

And that’s a pity. Because I nearly missed an awesome movie! By pure accident did I go to see it yesterday, and, boy, am I happy that I did! This film is excellent on every level. There is a twisted, interesting, and engaging plot. Just when you thought you got it, it turns and changes, and goes the other way. Even when you think the movie is at the end and you know how it will end, it ends in a totally different unpredictable way.

On top of that there is a rich visual layer. Scenes go back and forward between a very desaturated, almost grey-and-white setting to very vivid colours and shapes and textures. And it happens in a very balanced matter. It’s not a colourful film, but it’s not a black-and-white either. Colours swing together with plot twists and character moods. And music.

And speaking of characters, there was some amazing acting. The cast is fantastic and these are just the people to see in the film like this.

In short, do yourself a favour – go see this film. You’ll get a little something extra from watching it on the big screen. 5 out of 5.

How to train your dragon

The other day we had a happy family – daddy, mommy, and the kid – trip to the movies, because there was no way I would allow us to skip “How to train your dragon” – a much awaited animation from Dreamworks.

There are options to see it both in full 3D and regular, in Greek (dubbed) and in English (with subtitles). Language decision was the easiest (English of course), but the 3D option got me thinking for a second. On one hand it is a much richer experience. On the other – we were with a kid who is too hyperactive to sit through the whole thing without moving much. Finally I decided to go for the 2D version, because wearing glasses is an extra obstacle.

Now, back to the animation. It was widely promoted all over the place, with ads and several trailers. I knew that I wanted to see it for a while, and after seeing more trailers I knew that I won’t be disappointed. Just the stuff they showed in the promos was enough to enjoy. But the full length feature is so much more. It’s unbelievably good. It’s awesome. It’s fantastic. It’s an absolute must see!

It excellent on just so many levels – the story, the characters, the way it is drawn, the action sequences, the flying, the humor … pretty much everything is perfect. While I am used to being pleasantly surprised by the animation, the story got me this time more than anything. While it was childish and cartoon-worthy, there was a certain depth to it, at times it was even philosophical, going around issues which you don’t usually see in kid’s movies. And yet it was light and fun and inspiring.

Overall, a highly recommended for both kids and adults. Probably even better in 3D. I’ll give it a well deserved 5 out of 5.

Law Abiding Citizen

I just came back from the cinema where I watched “Law Abiding Citizen“. I vaguely remember seeing a trailer for this film, but other than that it wasn’t ringing any bells or setting any expectations. Even though 7.3/10 IMDB rating was promising.

The film turned out to be rather awesome! From the first scenes it looked like it had enough of everything – drama, action, plot twists, etc. It also felt nicely paced – not too fast, and not too slow. And it was getting better with every scene. I was somehow thinking that it would turn into one of those numerous revenge movies, where you could see through and predict things easily, but it didn’t. Just when I thought I had it figured, the plot was taking another twist, turning the movie even more interesting.

It’s difficult to talk about specifics without giving spoilers away, but I’ll try. While, as I said, I really enjoyed the film, the ending wasn’t up to the par with the rest of the film. It felt hurried into and even like it was from another movie or something. I would prefer a different one. But if there was a chance to shift the movie anywhere, I’d start the opposite direction after the scene with the judge.

Again, cryptically speaking to avoid spoilers, I think the film raises an excellent point on the fight of good and evil. And, unlike many other movies that do the same, there is some really big and strong evil. And, again, unlike in many other movies, the good is represented mighty powerful even if outnumbered. And there is the fight between the two for the whole film. But the ending spoils the fight a bit, since the fight and the whole point of counter-balancing one with another fades away for something else. And I am not even sure what that something else is.

Anyway, nevermind the rant. If you watch the film, you’ll know what I am talking about. And I highly recommend that you do. There is something for everyone and there is a lot for people who like this type of films. 5 stars.