Thus, I still remember happily the few magical musicals I chanced upon at a young age, such as Oklahoma, South Pacific, the King and I and other Rogers and Hammerstein classics. Then there's Oliver Twist (which had me saying 'Please Sir, may I have some more?' over and over again), Annie and My Fair Lady. Until today, when I type on a keyboard to test it, I usually write 'The Rain In Spain stays mainly in the plain', rather than the standard 'The quick red fox...'.

But (I'm almost apologetic to admit due to their near boilerplate commonness) the ones I particularly remember best are The Sound Of Music, whose 2 songs 'I Have Confidence' and 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain' I used to sing to myself (if I could remember the lyrics) whenever I took on a job interview; the less common Fiddler on the Roof, whom I admired for its ability to present a political view whilst providing pure musical enjoyment, and finally, Grease, for taking you to a certain place and time, in this case the late 50's America, with its terrific songs, performances and costumes that added a hundred more colors to the standard boy meets girl.

And due to the fact it had almost the same location and time of Grease, I approached Hairspray, justifiably or not, with that as my barometer. I love Grease, I loved John Travolta's oozing, greasy masculinity and Olivia Newton John's openness and virginal innocence, I loved the song 'Greased Lightnin'' and hated it when they cut that song out from the TV version of the movie, and I have been waiting for a long long time to watch something of anywhere near the calibre of those three. It was therefore with great anticipation that I waited on the promises made by Hairspray.

And my conclusion?

Read the rest at Movie Exchange!

And since you can't really pinpoint why you don't like it, but find it a stretch to call it a bad movie either, you just smile, shake your head or shrug your shoulders, and forget about it. Proof of it? The day after you've forgotten you've watched it, and by next week any memory of it is completely erased altogether.

Which is, you see, the exact opposite of two of the best most entertaining movies I've ever watched, which happen to both be based on superheroes. And that is Superman, the first one with Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder, and Batman Returns, with Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer.

And here's the part where you sit back for a moment, if you've happened to be around at the time they were released (1978 and 1992 respectively), where, you will likely nod your head in agreement, and appreciate along with me, the sheer entertainment these two provided.

And then you realize as well, how Fantastic Four II completely pales in comparison to those two. So much so, one might argue, that it shouldn't even be mentioned in the same movie review as the other two.

And I am getting closer to the point I am trying to make.

Read the rest at Movie Exchange.

So when I watched Wild Hogs, and saw him looking like he's actually having some fun, I realized I was having fun too. Not because it's got a terrific plot or that it's amazingly funny or that it changes the world of comedy or any of that. Rather, the movie shows a guy that I can't figure out having fun. In the process, I am watching a movie of his where I don't have to figure him out, so I just end up having fun. Does that make sense?

Oooh what do we have here? A hyperlink, leading to the rest of the article! Golly! Click Click Click!

To me, the bad guy is always the juiciest part in every film. If I were an actor wishing to prove my mettle, the surest path to this, granted I'd have the talent of course, is to avoid the hero part, which by being so automatically limits one to stereotype. Rather, one should go for the villain part, where you are allowed far more freedom and depth as you portray, explain, and define why this person has become such as he goes about his bad guy ways.

Whilst you may argue that this can be done for the hero as well, the villain, as we all know in real life villains, frequently does not come from the same cookie cutter like heroes are. There are many and varied ways to screw up a person and make him bad. All colorful, usually deeply tragic, all making excellent fodder for a qualified actor to chew on.

You know what to do!

That's pretty much it. A boring, staid and predictable life.

Which can also be said for for how this movie could have turned out. First of all all those first scenes where she starts talking to her drawings could have been interpreted as her going cuckoo. I'm not sure if the director meant that, but there it is. I thought, at the start of the movie, that we were going to deal with a woman who was slightly nuts, and I was worried I'd have to sit through an hour and a half of that.

I'm glad it didn't.

That's right. I reviewed Ms. Potter. Now I know most of you didn't watch it, so read my review. Come on come on click click.

Herewith then, is a reminder of that statement and the acting out of it's meaning, served up by Stephen Rears, Michael Sheen as Tony Blair and Dame Helen Mirren as the Queen, in a performance that garnered her an Oscar Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for 2007. An amazing feat and one of many reasons to view this film, and inasmuch as her understated work is a true sight to behold for me, just another reason to view it still.

Click click click for the rest rest rest.

Office Space

How in the HECK could I have forgotten one of my favorite movies of all time, the classic Office Space - with pre - MTV Ron Livingston, a very early hot and sexy Jennifer Aniston and directed by Mike Judge. Aniston's 'Kung Fu? I love kung - fu!' phrase (she was talking about movies) is probably the only thing I actually remember her saying word for word even after years of 'Friends' and her other movies - the sexiest words a geek can ever hope to hear from someone who looks like her. At any rate, this movie brings me back to my early tie - wearing days programming stuff in VB and hating every minute of it, working, as Livingston's character says "just enough not to get fired".

read the rest at PWIT. C'maaan click click click.

Imagine my surprise then, when instead of the rather comical, space age type story I was expecting, I instead got a very intense, very serious story about a secret agent whom, while passionate about his work, was conflicted between it and the mutual attraction developing between him and British Treasury official Vesper Lynd. Deciding to pursue a quiet life with Lynd, a twist evolves when Lynd admits she is a double agent and commits suicide in order to spare him, leaving a note assuring him of her love. Bond is hurt and humiliated, but reveals later still his genuine feelings for her.

Read the rest of my review of Casino Royale at Movie Exchange.

"This is what's going to happen," she says. "This is what's going to happen. I will put a round precisely through your medulla oblongata, which is located at the base of your brain, straight through a point mid-distance between your upper lip and the bottom of your nose and you will be dead from the neck down. Your finger won’t even twitch. Do you believe that?"

Of course, I'd believe it. I'd also believe you'd be very dead from the neck up too, but who cares about details like that when you're talking tough?

Read my Miami Vice review here.

Technorati Tags: miami vice, medulla oblongata, gina calabrese, elizabeth rodriguez, michael mann, jamie foxx, colin farrel

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At any rate here they are bulletpoint style. WARNING: If you haven't seen the movie, there are spoilers!

• At no other time did I feel the blogging community has played such a pivotal role in influencing people than at the promotion of this movie. Jill and I were excited to watch if only because people like Pam, and even Jessica Zafra herself, who btw is also doing the subtitles for it, were literally screaming their heads off in praises, so the only natural thing to do really is to revert to sheep mode and go forth. Naturally.
• I would personally recommend it myself, albeit less enthused.. in fact at second thought, with some measure of being guarded. Make no mistake though, I truly enjoyed the movie. It was interesting, it was fun, it was revealing, it was thoroughly engaging and there is hardly a moment where your interest wanes, not obliging the fact that production values were less than perfect. However, it is not amazing, at least not deserving of the jump - out - of - your - seat -and - applaud kind of reaction I would have expected from some of the reviews.
• I would venture to say that the real reason why this movie is so well received is because it is such a terrific departure from the spoonfeeding, insert - dramatic - music - here - to - cue - crying style typical of Filipino dramas, where a five minute closeup of Judy Ann's wailing face or a slapping scene between Cherie Gil and Sharon Cuneta whilst mouthing unbelievably dramatic quotables is considered fine acting.
  
  Rather, here we are treated with Maxi realizing his fate while pouring one less cup of rice in the rice cooker after his father's death, hence causing him to rush to the aid of Victor the cop (JR Valentin) to try and avoid yet another grievous loss. Here we have ponderous moments when the family sits in contemplation of the eldest brother's murderous act, his father seething with rage without needing to scream a single quotable.
  
  Here we have a most powerful scene, when the eldest brother, the least likely to do so, decides against revenge to instead take care of Maxi, by looking at his other brother straight in the eye, as if to convey how suicidal revenge would be, and who then, would take care of Maxi after?
• I would use the word 'amazing' to describe "Ang Pagdadalaga" in the context of how it makes one feel empowered via encouraging us, the audience, to think - in itself, the complete antithesis of what a Filipino movie is, especially a dramatic one. I can't even remember if there was music at the background when a highlight moment comes along.

  If you missed a spot, it was because you weren't paying attention. You weren't supposed to be tinkering with your cellphone. You weren't supposed to be chatting with your partner. You're there to watch and understand the trials and tribulations of the young Maxi, as he goes about trying to protect the people he loves even as they try to kill each other. If you watched the movie, and if you have a thinking brain, and a heart, then you would understand and appreciate the drama in the life of Maxi. That makes it amazing.

• Of course, it's not all hunky dory. The actor portraying the father botched it up imho, occasionally forgetting his lines and looking like he's - acting. After some thought, I realized that was such a waste, since the part is such a pivotal one, and would've been relished by a more competent actor.

  Finally, there are holes in the story that brought ???? in my head. What exactly is the beef between Bodjie Pascua's character (it's soooo hard to think of him other than Kuya Bodjie peddling McDo), and Maxi's father? At the scene where he is executed, there was an attempt at an explanation, but it was edited out after the father said "Two years.." then a "BLIP" sound indicating a cut came after.

  What's the deal between Victor and Maxi? Why was he crying under Maxi's window? Is he in love with Maxi? Did he feel he lost a friend? If so, why was he pushing him away in the first place, instead of helping him out? Unrelated - is Victor gay too?

  Yet another ponderous scene was at the end, where Maxi sashays down the road off to school, ignoring Victor leaning against his jeep. You will never see a more poignant, ponderous moment I think, in Filipino movies, as the whole scene is just one 60 second shot from end to end, just observing Maxi as he walks down the road, hesitates, then walks again.

  However, the scene (and eventually the movie's story), left me empty. Does it mean Maxi has 'moved on' from Victor? But they'll be seeing each other everyday since they live in the same neighborhood right? What of the father's execution, which Victor just watched without emotion? Does it mean he's turned bad?

  What of Kuya Bodjie? Is he good? Is he bad? What about the murder the eldest brother committed? Is he getting off scott free? Will the brothers still continue their petty thievery? How will they continue their lives?

• As much as I'd love to applaud the excellent and poignant Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros, I really don't want to unleash a two thumbs up precisely because of those sordid points. It would have been alright if the movie's focus was primarily on Maxi's relationship with Victor, but the movie opened us up to the world of his brothers, father and Victor himself as well, hence I need closure as far as their lives are concerned.
  
  I would give this movie a 8 out of 10, even in comparison with foreign movies, and not in consideration of the less than worthy production values (although that cut scene during the execution's conversation was unforgivable), but because of the holes in the story.
• Finally, a related, albeit surreal event after we left the movie house. Nathan Lopez was there:
  

  and of course we had to revert back to sheep with a little good ol' peeekchure taking. Baaaaa. :)

Here're some Ang Pagdadalaga.. links: the "Ang Pagdadalaga.." page, an article about the screenwriter Michiko Yamamoto both at Clickthecity, and a PDI interview.