INSIDE JOB

The film that cost $20,000,000,000,000 to make


Directed by: Charles Ferguson

Although I read much about the global economic meltdown of 2008 in the news I only know few things like collapsing companies, foreclosures, people being out of job and the 700 billion dollar bailout package. Basically just the big picture.

I don't know anything about sub prime, derivatives or even hedge fund. Those are strange things for me and reading those Wall Street Journal editorials are a bit of a pain for a simpleton like me.

However, this film has explain the why and who of the global economic meltdown, complete with the explanation of those specific financial terms which is enlightening for me.

I cannot explain in my own words what's sub prime and their friends are, I don't even know what's Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers or Merryl Lynch is and the only information I got about AIG prior to the crisis is they sponsored Manchester United football club, that's it. So if you are still wondering, Google and dozens of books will help you to understand it better.

However, unlike Michael Moore's Capitalism a Love Story which address almost similar matters, this one is not political or trying to be funny at all.
Narrated by Matt Damon, this one enter legions of documentary narrated by famous people. Why using Matt Damon? I think the film maker want to raise awareness by this, since this film will appear at Matt Damon's filmography page and people who have no idea what's going on will try to watch this one.

Divided by chapters as in book chapters, it is an easy to follow story with heart wrenching end, that the cause of all of this mess is simply greed and how those smart people in Wall Street robbed ordinary American only to make them rich.

The worst is yet to come, the people who let these atrocities happened doesn't even go to jail, they are getting richer and those government policy makers are still on their throne.

The lobbyist also have spent five billion US dollar to lobby both side of the aisle so they, in a simple word, can get off easy robbing people without any government regulation at all. All because this open market has no regulation at all and all attempt to do it will be killed by those powerful people.

What makes me sad is how the academics, the one common people rely if the politicians cannot be trusted at all, are also taken part in this complex web of deception.

I wonder, is this human nature to be greed? This documentary is a wake up call to anyone who is involved in financial sectors and a nice lesson for us, common people who have no idea what those white collar people are doing behind closed doors.

Filled with so many interviews this one is not boring and a decent Oscar winner in the category of Best Documentary feature. This one is also a perfect companion to Wall Street and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (both are my favorite) and if you are majoring in economic or finance, a must see.

IN A BETTER WORLD

Directed by: Susanne Bier

Original title: Hævnen

Whenever there's a film winning Oscar's Best Foreign Language category, I am interested to see it.

I think that category is the most interesting at all, giving us windows about a world we rarely see. Besides there's always be something nice to know beyond Hollywood. So with high expectation I watch this one, the one that had won and I am a bit disappointed.

Sure the theme of revenge and redemption is well played here, but it is not as good as Biutiful (I haven't seen the other nominees besides Biutiful). Not that this one is bad, it is just, as a winner, it doesn't provoke my thoughts. Is it because I have seen movies with similar theme? Or am I looking for something more that I haven't been able to express it with words yet? I don't know for sure.

Sure it is nice and I can get what the director is trying to say. It just doesn't left me speechless at all.

However, to make my blog sound sophisticated, I shall review this film. The original Danish title is Hævnen, which means The Revenge and that makes much more sense in terms of a title instead of In a Better World. I don't know why the translation of the title can be so different than the real meaning from the real title. Commercial purposes?

Span in two continents, Europe and Africa the tale of revenge, fatherhood and redemption is nicely told.

It is not a global story about some pretentious artsy stuff, it is a family story. Elias (Markus Rygaard) is a 12 year old boy who used to be bullied at school. His father, Anton (Mikael Persbrandt) is a doctor in a war torn Sudan. Anton himself is in a process to divorce his wife.

Elias found a friend in Christian (William Jøhnk Nielsen), a new student who bravely defend Elias as Elias about to be beaten by the school thug. Christian himself is an angry boy, unable to convey his emotional loss after his mother passed away to his cold father.

Soon things start to unravel, Anton must face the dilemma in his profession and a revenge act by Christian left everyone shocked. The adults and the children learn something out of their actions.

Preaching revenge is bad is something this film is trying to do, and it is successful. However the happy ending tone of this film gives hope instead of grim premonition that if people do something, they can avert disaster. It is not the sort of sugar coated Hollywood happy ending that can be negated by grim ending, but the realistic one that we can believe.

Speaking of revenge, I have this strange idea of putting this film slightly below I saw the Devil, Old Boy and Confession. I don't know why, those movies are darker and brutal in tone but has almost the same message about revenge; that we as human might learn something from it, whether it resulted in bad or good end.

BIUTIFUL

Directed by: Alejandro Inarritu

Marginalized people who lives underground tend to live under fear and degradation, but they do have hopes and dreams too, at least that what this film tries to convey.

Telling a story about a sympathetic criminal middleman named Uxbal (Javier Bardem in his magnificent role) this is a story about underground life in Barcelona. There's illegal Senegelase and Chinese immigrant with corrupt cop pressing in to Uxbal.

To make matters more interesting; Uxbal is a single father, separated from his bipolar ex-wife, Marambara (Maricel Alvarez) and took care of his children in his small apartment.

Uxbal learns that he had a prostate cancer and his days are numbered. So he tried his best to manage his chaotic life and business while seeking redemption and understanding.

Nominated for an Oscar for both Best Foreign Film and Best Actor (Javier Bardem), this is the story not only about fatherhood but slightly political by exposing the harsh conditions the illegal immigrants have to face in order to earn money better than in their homeland.

Visually poetic without being pretentious, this one is more enjoyable than Uncle Boonme, especially since both films have almost the same theme; facing death and the illusion of life itself.

You don't have to be smart or pretended to be some intellectual tech savvy to understand some symbols or the disjointed scenes in this film, this one is accessible, in terms of understanding, by almost any viewers since it doesn't try to be ueber-artsy. Even to those people who watch mainstream movies only.

This is important to me since films like these have power to reach the masses, not some elitist film trying so hard to be smart, but a smart and soulful movie trying to be populist.

Although it is a 'dark' story that hangs heavily on Uxbal's fate (also Bardem's charisma) but still pleasant to watch because here we can see that beauty and misery can live side by side and people 'trapped' in this condition have a very limited choice in their life, make us ponder deeply before we judge people.

Uxbal is not a usual criminal, he is not brutal or cruel, he looks like a guy who just want to make ends meet. But since his choices seem to be limited, this is the one he can do. He is sympathetic to the illegal immigrants although it has a tragic consequences. He is not a bad man, but he works in a bad world.

For a 'dark' film, I think Biutiful (a misspell from Uxbal's daughter) is beautiful and offers hope. Uxbal finally comes to terms with his condition and move beyond desperation to appreciate the preciousness of life. Some deep thought in there eh?

Shot mostly in hand held, it makes the feeling of intimacy more stronger. What makes me wonder is technical aspect of this film. As I watch it at the cinema, the aspect ratio changes from wide screen to letterbox. I don't know why, was it technical adjustment? However it doesn't disturb at all.

As for me I am familiar with Inarritu's work, and together with Amores Perros, Babel and 21 Grams, this one is my favorite since somewhere between good and amazing, lies Biutiful.

THE ILLUSIONIST

Directed by: Sylvain Chomet

The title can make you confused with the title of the same movie title released in 2006. The difference is the one released in 2006 is a live action starring Edward Norton and this one released in 2010 as an animation movie but the similarities is one; both portraying a magician.

With pictures as if it sprung up from watercolor painting, The Illusionist manage to deliver the story with minimum dialogue as possible. The beauty of the animation will remind you of Miyazaki's animated movies (although this one is a bit dark in theme) and this one doesn't need any translation at all, anyone can understand the story.

The story is about an old magician named Tatischeff who lives in the 50s. He performs standard magic tricks like pulling bunnies of a hat and flowers out of thin air. He fails to amuse audience from halls to halls. Eventually he ended up in Scotland, amusing some villagers, especially a young woman named Alice. They both strike a chemistry and Alice follows Tati everywhere he goes even to Paris.

But Tati's carreer doesn't get much better, he still fails to amuse broad audience. Staying with Alice in a hotel, Alice helps Tati with daily chores and Tati buys her shoes and dress. Soon the paternal relationship grows.

Money is still a problem, Tati has to work night shift at the garage and since he is inexperienced, he got fired. Does Tati manage to enchant Alice to stay by his side? Does Alice enjoy her choice being embedded with Tati?

In a poetic but silent conclusion, the audience can get the central theme of this film; that sometimes even magic cannot face the face of change.

Beautifully animated, in the age of sugar coating CGI, this one is a reminder that classic animation look can still triumph. In my opinion, this one deserve to win an Oscar instead of that over rated Toy Story 3.

TRUE GRIT

Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

I like western movies, especially the one with standoff and gritty characters. I enjoy the Spaghetti Western trilogy and The Quick and the Dead. Western movies makes me want to ride a horse and eat some steak.

As far as I know, this film is a remake of the film of the same title which was released in 1969, as for me I haven't seen the John Wayne version but upon hearing that the Coens are behind this, I am intrigued.

Mattie (Hailee Steinfeld) is a 14 year old girl seeking to avenge the death of his father. In her mission she employ, with her superb talent of persuading and pushing people with words, Marshal Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to track down Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the one who killed her father. 'Joining' the band is LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) a Texas Ranger who also hunt Cheney. As expected the three ara at odds with each other but as the mission goes by they find out that they needed each other more then they thought of. This is a tale of vengeance, friendship and loyalty in the unforgiving wild-wild west where brutal man like Cogburn is needed to establish justice.

What makes this one interesting is the bonding between these three main characters isn't over the top with sugar coated sentimentality. There's no doubt that Mattie is clever but her judgment of people improved during the journey and Cogburn, initially dismissing Mattie as just some teen having too much rage, began to appreciate Mattie's enthusiasm. As for LaBoeuf, his character transformed from just some annoying Texas ranger to a loyal and helpful friend.

As for the language, here is where the Coens are masterful. The extensive use of accent and swear words is perfectly and colorfully tuned into the dialogue.

This is perhaps the first time Coen brothers make a straight genre movie and surprisingly it works. For core fans, it doesn't feel like a Coen movie filled with darkness and cross genre, but it still feel good. The acting and cinematography is amazing, Jeff Bridges gives the maximum performance he can give and Hailee Steinfeld is plain amazing.

I never thought that Coens can make a good western as this one, and the 10 Oscar nomination is very justified. This is one of the best in 2010 and a reminder to us that remakes aren't always bad.

WAITING FOR 'SUPERMAN'

Directed by: Davis Guggenheim

The title is misleading, a lot of people would have thought this one is about searching for the new Superman after Brandon Routh. But this one is about the failing of educational system in United States. So for superhero movie fans who doesn't like a documentary movies consisted with people talking serious stuff and statistical graphics, this is not for them.

As for me I am not familiar with educational systems in the states, however this one gives me an insight that even in a country that has sent a man to the moon, there is something wrong with their educational system.

Guggenheim focuses on an African-American educator named Geoffrey Canada, who happens to be an idealist and has successfully open Harlem Success Academy, a successful charter school [school made and for the public] in the poorest area in Harlem.

Canada has a solution for failing systems; better teachers, highly paid and qualified. Although it is told that not all charter school successful but what Canada did was something nice, he gives back to the society.

Then this documentary spotlight the problems, like the difficulties to fire unqualified teacher, the teacher's union politics [I seriously doubt that teacher's union are evil as portrayed in this film, sure everything has a bad side but a union is meant to protect teachers from being discriminated in terms of profession, however the teacher's union in the states need to be reformed, I think] which hindered reformation in education and the educational system itself.

Not only on education, this one follows the fate of several children from low income to high income families who strive to get a placement in charter school. Since the seats are limited but the applicants are many, a lottery need to be made. Sounds fair but cruel. The one that made the cut has the chance for cheap and better education, the one that fails has to be sent home with big disappointment.

According to this film, public schools are failing and something serious need to be done sure. As for the title, it is an irony that people wait other people to save them from peril, sometimes all it takes is just one self action to save our self.

Now seeing the condition of educational qualities, teacher's and school in Indonesia I think this documentary is a nice insight for us to make education better and accessible for everyone, not just some commodity to earn cash or to elevate social status.

Sure as a documentary it tend to be subjective and you need to cross check the facts itself but as an idea that education should be good and available to everyone is a universal idea we share no matter where we come from.

WINTER'S BONE

Directed by: Debra Granik.

The fearless young female heroine, one of my favorite character, the one with no super powers or weapons but have the will to do what she think, the best for her.

As for myself, I didn't know the existence of this film if this one didn't get Oscar nomination for best picture.

The heroine is Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) a 17 year old girl who took care her younger brother and sister in the city of Ozark. Ozark itself looked like a Dumpville with trash and crappy stuff scattered all over the place. Everyone in Ozark has known a criminal, related with them and some are ex and soon to be criminal. Not a nice place to grow, especially for Ree who has to depend on neighbor's kindness even for daily food.

Ree's father, Jessup has been missing the deadline to show up at court and if he fails to whos up, the house Ree lived in will be taken by the government. Jessup has put his house and estate as the bail. So like it or not, Ree has to look for his father to save their house.

The road to find her father is tricky with other people refusing to give her some help but Ree will not give up, no matter what happened she has to be the family leader and save the day. What happened to her father and will she be able to survive the harshness of life and the threat of eviction? This is a heart breaking tale of survival that makes you think that in moments of harshness it is very important for family to stick up together.

Jennifer Lawrence is brilliant in this film, she can be fierce and strong while other actors and actresses are also amazing to watch, especially Teardrop (John Hawkes), Ree's uncle who is as fierce as Ree's. Even the dialogue itself is unique, they speak in an implicit way that seems to sprung up from Cormac McCarthy novels. Filled with tensions not fueled by crappy soundtracks but with silence with pauses that makes you think deeply, this one deserve an Oscar nomination in the category of Best Picture plus a nod for the talented Jennifer Lawrence.

I SAW THE DEVIL

Original Title: Akmareul boatda

Directed by: Ji-woon Kim

If you try to do some revenge to a certain person, will you become the one you hate? This film pose that serious question with extreme gore and violence not suitable even for adults who have a weak heart or those who used to listen to Phil Collins all day long.

My suggestion that if you hate seeing blood and decapitated bodies, don't watch this. The film started as an innocent woman raped, murdered and decapitated by Kyung-Chul (Choi Min-sik) who attacks her as she wait for towing car to tow her car.

The fiancée of this victim, Kim Soo-hyeon (Byung-hun Lee) happens to be a secret agent of some kind and as he found out that her fiancee already in pieces try to track down the murderers all by himself. He 'visit' each suspect and brutally tortures them until he finally met the last suspect, Kyung-Chul, which he finally conclude, from the evidence he gathered that Kyung is the one responsible for his fiancee's death.

But as Kim tortures Kyung-Chul and almost killed him he decided to play a cat and mouse game with Kyung by implanting a tracking device in Kyung. He let Kyung go but follows him religiously and tortures Kyung again whenever he had the chance and each torture is getting more brutal.

The game changes when Kyung knows about the tracking device and turns to hunt Kim's loved ones. Now Kim has to become the monster to fight the monster.

The magnitude of the violence is too much here, you need to listen to Super Junior happy songs to dilute it. However these gore violence seems to have a point that revenge; the colder and brutal it gets, will get you nowhere , eat you from the inside and will make you almost as the same as the one you hate.

This is gore orgy that travels between moral and ethical borderline back and forth and sometimes if you feel you had enough you can feel the pointlessness of the gore in this film. Like I said, this is not for everyone. But if you have survived Oldboy from Chan Woo Park, you can survive this.

There are some fascinating scenes, like when Kyung fights two other bad guys in a cab and the camera revolves around the cab unedited, remind me of the car scene in Children of Men.

THE GREEN HORNET

Directed by: Michel Gondry

Nicolas Cage and Ben Affleck is actually laughing now, knowing that there are superhero more lame that the one Nic acted in Ghost Rider and Ben in Daredevil. The lame superheroes are Britt Reid and Kato. Everything about this film is lame, the joke, the action, the dialogue and the linear plot, not to mention 3D converted to rip off decent people is in the category of ultra-lame. Gosh, even Kick-Ass and that lame Clash of the Titans are more entertaining than this one. If you happen to have insomnia and trouble sleeping well, this movie will make you snore to the roof.

It seems that this film is nothing more than just showcase for Seth Rogen's ego since he talk too much here, very annoying. I know he is also the screenwriter and the producer but did he have to put so many words in his character? As for Kato, the choice of Jay Chou is nothing more than a mistake, sure he can sing and very famous in Asia but he still need to learn to speak English in a way people can understand. To add salt to the wound, both of them has no chemistry at all.

The Green Hornet was based on a popular radio series in the 30s and TV series in the 60s the latter catapult Bruce Lee into fame. It's about superhero fighting crime and comedy.

It could be good if only Jay Chou decided to go to the gym to train hard so he can look mesmerizing shirtless. Here, Chou doesn't even take off his clothes and wear see through tights. If he did that at least it is one small effort to redeem the bad quality of this film and make the ladies (and some men) happy. Remember that Korean star Rain who appear shirtless in Ninja Assassin? Although the film is also suck at least he show some effort by looking muscular and entertain the ladies (and some men too). Do I need to bold the above mentioned sentence?

I don't know why I wrote that, especially the see through pants stuff that can make me vomit, I just think that at least some eye candy stuff can make this film a bit better. I do wish that Emma Stone is in this film, seeing her alone is worthy of admission price, but she's not here and I don't know who or what to blame except to blame the existence of see-through pants.

Cameron Diaz is certainly wasted here, she didn't show herself in a bikini and her character was made to make the guys who watched this film not bored. Sorry but why Cameron Diaz? Does Hollywood is running out of young beautiful girls who take a line at any fast food restaurant to cast? Why her? It's not her best part and she doesn't look comfortable at all.

The director of this mess is Michel Gondry and I think, after the reviews are out he wished he had the memory erasing machine he had from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to erase any memory he had making and watching this film and perhaps have the generosity to lend it to us.

THE FIGHTER

Directed by: David O. Russell

I don't know why boxing movies always have a special place in Hollywood. Some of them are good, like Rocky and Raging Bull, but the rest is just okay. As for me, I am a big fan of boxing and curious on how movies bring fights into screen.

With a very simple title, this one doesn't attracts me at all. But hey, any movies getting nomination as Best Picture is worthy of my short attention span. Like life itself, boxing is a perfect metaphor for 'life is a fighting' the difference is, for boxer, they have to fight it literally and metaphorically.

In the main spot is Mark Wahlberg, a talented actor with equal number of suck and good movies in his CV. Acting as Mickey Ward, Wahlberg shows that in the age of 39 he can still pull some punches.

Mickey is a struggling fighter from Lowell, Massachusetts, a blue collar small town America. His brother, Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) is a has-been. He was once a boxer who had KO'd Sugar Ray Leonard and lives in the past glory. In present he is nothing more than just a crack addict.

Then there is his mother, Alice (Melissa Leo), a dominating wife that gives her husband no space to breathe. Together they are in team Mickey (as in team Jacob in Twilight saga).

Just like what people said, 'in the end you hurt the one you love the most' the family that supports Mickey ended up hurting Mickey, they just don't realize it until Charlene (Amy Adams) become the voice of reason to Mickey, well sort of.

Problems arise as Dicky got jailed and Mickey's career hangs in nowhere. Who can help Mickey and what will happen next?

The cast are superb, Melissa Leo can play a dominating mother and Christian Bale is so convincing in his The Machinist like performance; he make himself skinny. While Wahlberg is just okay but not disappointing.

The Fighter effectively balances sports elements with dysfunctional family drama and the result is very nice. I find myself inspired after watching The Fighter, just like as I watch 127 Hours.

The fact that this film is based on real people and real story makes everything interesting since it is not only about boxing but about fighting to be the best in this life by making the most of everything you had.