So Many Movies, So Little Time

[a note to all: the snippet that I wrote about MLIA (the history professor one) two posts ago is not me! So many thought it was! It's a snippet. Although I agree, it does sound like something I would do :P]

Something very rare happened yesterday - I flipped to the movies ad section of the newspaper and realised I wanted to watch almost every one on the page. :X

At the top of my list is:
Click poster to view trailer.
This has been raved by critics as the unconventional love-story to look out for. Boy-meets-girl. They break-up. And boy contemplates on the past 500 days they've spent to find out what went wrong. The guy looks like James McAvoy. The girl looks like Katy Perry. Pretty good-looking leads, I must say. I wanna watch!
~


On to something more serious...
Click poster to view trailer.
The Chinese director has received death threats amidst releasing this controversial movie about the Nanking Massacre. Shot deliberately in black-and-white, this winner at the San Sebastian Film Festival tells the story from both sides of the war: Chinese and the Japanese.
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And something lighter now..
Click poster to view trailer.
Good reviews, fantastic visuals and hilarious to boot - this movie is receiving very positive word-of-mouth. I want to catch it in 3D!
~



And finally, the upcoming...
Click poster to view trailer.
There's this saying that everything Meryl Streep touches turns to gold - and judging from the trailer, she is going to be the sole reason that carries the movie. But that is not denying the charm of her second-time collaborator, Amy Adams. Looks like a delicious, delightful movie already.
~



Now, for movies that I've watched.

Firstly, The Hangover.
I give the movie:





The Hangover is the kind of crass comedy that you'd want to catch with your buddies and have a laugh over. Don't mistake this as some crude Epic Movie kind of crap - this road-trip of a movie is actually very, very funny.

As Katy Perry sings, "That's what you get for waking up in Vegas." 2 buddies and one future brother-in-law wakes up in a Vegas suite after a night of hard-partying to find that the groom-to-be is missing, and they've just added one unknown baby and a tiger (a living, breathing one) to their entourage. And the wedding's the next day. Tough luck, you'd say. But that's when the hilarity kicks in as they scramble to unravel what exactly happened the night before, and of course, try their best to locate their pal.

This is not really Judd Apatow-goodness, but for the earnestness in the comedy that it portrays, this hangover is actually not a headache afterall. Throw in a dash of romance and some very true outlook on love, you've got yourself a nice little movie.

FINAL SAY: As they say, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas - and that is exactly the mayhem that fuels this hilarious comedy.
~



And next, already primed to be the tearjerker of the Year: My Sister's Keeper. [thanks to zx for this movie!]
I give the movie:





Beautiful actors, controversial storyline, touching plot - what could go wrong?

But that's usually what happens when emotional stories are brought to life on screen. No matter how good the acting is, you still get that slight hint that they are caricatures from a novel, and it is hard to feel connected to what we see on-screen.

That aside, this is going to be one of the most memorable movies you'll watch this year. I was struggling whether should I give this a 3.0/5; besides, critical responses have been rather lukewarm. But I finally decided to add another 0.5 because of how the movie made me feel. And although this is not the most important film to watch this year, I'd still recommend it.

Anna (the committed Abigail Breslin) is suing her mother (quite a miscast Cameron Diaz) and is demanding 'medical emancipation'. You see, Anna's sister is dying of leukemia, and her parents had conceived Anna seemingly for the sole reason that in the future, she can donate her one healthy kidney to her sister to ensure her survival. Does she succeed? How will this turn out for the family?

We are being introduced to the characters one-by-one by their various monologues, another jarring fact that this is a print-to-screen adaptation. But what is to be commended is the dedicated performances throughout - Sofia Vassilieva holds her own as the cancer-striken sister dealing with her own death, and watching her family degenerate before her eyes. While the final revelation is rather predictable, it is the actors' portrayal that we cling onto.

FINAL SAY: Bring your tissue. Seriously, you'll need it. Touching and contemplative - I'll recommend to either read the book or watch the movie. You would get the same feeling from it.
~



Argh, still haven't got the time to review Mariah's cd. But anyways, need to go for tuition now.

Enjoy the remainder of the weekend!

Take care, people!