focoproject.com

• Director: Sofia Coppola
• Genre: History/Biography/Drama
• Year: 2006

I hate to say it, but this might truly be the disappointment of the season. Having debuted on to the director’s stage with The Virgin Suicides, I was sure that young Coppola had nowhere to go but up. In this film, she had all the ingredients to make a hell of a film and yet, she failed to deliver in multiple ways. Do not get me wrong, this is not a bad feel, better than many, for sure, but it certainly is well below par what my expectations were.

Focusing on the controversial Queen of France, Maria Antoinette, from the moment she is taken from Austria to the day she is forced to leave Versailles, the story tells the downfall of a woman who once was received with enthusiasm. Except…it doesn’t. Perhaps afraid to upset too many people in one side or the other, the film never makes a stance and as a result is comes across as flightly and superficial. For example, if you wish to tell us that this woman drove France to ruin, show us more than her buying shoes, throwing extravagant parties and buying lots of trees, because in all honesty, it takes a whole lot more than that to drive an entire economy to ruin. I get the feeling that they try to make Maria Antoinette somewhat of a heroine, but despite brave acting on the part of Kristen Dunst, the directing falls well short and in the end she ends up looking shallow and without aim. The character flaunders throughout the movie and fails to truly root itself down.

There are some positive aspects to this movie. The set design looked fantastic, as did costuming. Cinematography was sub par and acting in some part shined, while at others it seemed somewhat forced. And there were some historical elements that made one chuckle at the ridiculous customs the French had at the time. So this movie is not entirely bad, but if I can save you from watching it at the theater? then I will probably have done you good. Wait for it on DVD.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Notes: Brief nudity, and adult situations, though I do not remember the language being bad at all, but then again, it could be that I am simply desensitized. All in all, I can see why this was booed off at the Cannes Festival.
Quote: Marie-Antoinette: This is ridiculous.
Comtesse de Noailles: This, Madame, is Versailles.

• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Mystery/Drama/Thriller
• Year: 2006

Nolan made me a fan from the very beginning, when I watched Memento and quieckly made it one of my favorite all time films. That movie sparked me to see Following, his first feature film, shot independently and in black and white which I would also recommend. Insomnia, released a few years later was alright, but I began to fear that Nolan was about to fall into the Hollywood trap. It was Batman Begins that reassured me he would not and this film only further advances that reassurance.

Set at the turn of the century, two magicians, played brilliantly by Christopher Baele and Hugh Jackman, once partners, find themselves competing against each other. Obsessed with outdoing the tricks of the other, the two eventually begin to play a set of elaborate pranks that soon begin to escalate in danger. Using deceit and trickery, the two strive to achieve the greater name, sparked by a hatred that was created in the past when one of their shows went terribly wrong.

Told out of sequence, this movie can be slightly frustrating for those movie watchers that are more comfortable with sequential stories. However, close attention will unfold a carefully crafted puzzle that delivers a good ending. With a solid cast, strong acting, directing, cinematography and set design, not to mention writing, this movie has all the elements to make a successful movie. I won’t say there are not any dropped balls, but they are minor enough that they can be overlooked. I highly recommend this one.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Notes: Some language and disturbing imagery
Quote: Rupert Angier: It was the greatest magic trick I’ve ever seen
Cutter: It’s not a trick. It’s real

• Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
• Genre: Drama/Thriller
• Year: 2000

No, I did not just see this movie for the first time. In fact I saw it as soon as it made its way to the United States which at the time took a while, given that the Mexican Film Industry was really just beginning this reinsurgency under which it currently finds itself. Films like Sexo Pudor y Lagrimas and this one really started putting them on the map.

This movie, without a doubt is one of my favorite all time independent movies. Shot on a low budget (around 2 mill), the small technical details such as certain overblown lighting situations when dealing with the inside and outside of vehicles can be easily overlooked in favor of a plot that is compelling and gripping.

The title of the name translates loosely to “Love’s a Bitch” and the three stories that make up the bulk of this film all center around people and their dogs and the relationships not only between the pets and their masters but between the people themselves. Using a car accident as a pivotal point, the three stories weave in and out of each other in a way that is entirely satisfying by the time you see that last shot.

Loaded with incredible no name acting (this was Gael Garcia Bernal’s first major role so at the time he was a no name, now a days he is a very familiar face) each of the characters in this movie shines regardless of air time. I found myself hard pressed to find an actor that had not dutifully carried out their role to the best of their ability. And without a doubt this was the film that served as a platform to laungh Gael’s career, who has now done, Motorcycle Diaries, Y Tu Mama Tambien, The Science of Sleep as well as a movie he recently directed which should be released soon.

A must watch…actually, a must own movie! Though be aware that there are some violent sequences to be watchful for.

Rating: 5 out of 5
Notes: Violence, language, nudity, sexuality. Spanish (with some heavy slang) with English subtitles.
Quote: Susana: [to Octavio] You and your plans. You know what my grandmother used to say? If you want to make God laugh… tell Him your plans.

• Director: Dito Montiel
• Genre: Cirme/Drama
• Year: 2006

I’m falling behind again with my reviews, wouldn’t you know it, it is the end of the month when work piles up and I can not do the fun stuff that I would normally give preference to. In either case, it is a shame that i review this move a few weeks after I have watched it, because all the little details will have left me by now, I am sure. However, my mind has not been changed in regards to this film.

The story deals with a now accomplished writer, riding the waves of success of his autobiographical book “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints” which tells the story of his childhood and the living situations that forced him to leave everything he grew up with behind, including his family. Though, as his father falls ill and he is asked to go back and try to convince him to go to the hospital, Dito realizes that he has not quite patched up his past as well as he had allowed himself to believe. And so, as he goes back to his original stomping grounds, he is forced to face the ghosts of his pasts, some of which are not very pleasant.

This is a pretty powerful movie by first time writer and director Dito Montiel, who is in essense making an autobiographical movie that relates his story after writing his autobiographical book. It has many sobering moments, filled with violence that is more often than not implied (which is a good thing) and raw sexuality that is not always implied. Not a movie for the feint of heart, the language can get edge and there are some adult situations and disturbing moments that would make most audience members cringe, but if you have the stomach for an honest bit of story telling, you really need not look further.

I leave this off with a comment, there is some really good cinematography here and I personally enjoyed the editing style. The acting is superb pretty much all around, though I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Robert Downey Jr, who once again shines. There are a few things on sound editing that I found odd and a couple of questionable moments that I could have done without. These, however are minor details that should not detract from the movie in the least.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Notes: Violence, sexuality and heavy language.

• Director: Paul McGuigan
• Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
• Year: 2006

With a hint of Guy Ritchie, in its mood, this movie is thoroughly entertaining and while certainly no Oscar material, there is more than enough here to tickle most people’s brains in a pleasant way. The story is one of misdirection, and this is given to you right off the bat in the first fifteen minutes of the movie. From that point on, we are told the story of an unfortunate young man (Josh Harnett) who finds himself in the unenviable position of being in debt two two gangsters, both of whom have put him on a deadline. Given a case of mistaken identity, Slevin can not prove that he is not Nick Fisher and is therefore forced to find a way out on his own, aided only by the sexy next door neighbor, with a charming, cooky personality that quickly becomes the only light in Slevin’s sorry situation.

As I said before, this is not Oscar material, and the characterizations are definately a bit guided, so that we are constantly reminded that these are characters and not real people, which can often hurt the believability of a movie. However, in this case, such a flaw does not create much damage, given that light under which it is cast to begin with. Even then, this flick is worth the watch, highly entertaining and with some memorable scenes. Though its one flaw is on the dialogue that wants to be a little bit too clever and does not always work. Other than that, grab the popcorn…this one is a fun one

Rating: 4 out of 5
Notes: Violence and language. Lucy Liu is extremely cute in this movie. So extremely cut in fact that it must be noted here as a warning.
Quote: Slevin: Who are you?
The Boss: I’m The Boss.
Slevin: I thought he was The Boss.
The Boss: Why? Do we look alike?

• Director: Rian Johnson
• Genre: Crime/Drama/Mystery
• Year: 2005

I had had my eyes on this from the very beginning. Long before the previews came out…in fact, since all Focus had on their website was a synopsis. The idea sounded simply intruiging and seeing the final result I can honestly that they achieved what they set out to make, a film noir for the younger generation. Unfortunately Misery beat me to reviewing it This is another one of those that I saw a while ago and due to a busy schedule forgot to review, but better late than never.

As far as this film goes, it will take a slight adjustment. True to its origins, the dialogue is sharp, quick and witty, over dramatized with a number of over complicated words and over-the-top slang that sound cool but nobody would ever use all in one sentence, let alone a bunch of high schoolers. That may sound like I am ragging on it, but I am not. The effect is actually pretty positive, making for some intruiging dialogue and interaction. It also revolves with rapid fire pace around so many characters that it may make your head spin and if there is a draw back to this movie it is this. There is so many different currents and so many names to memorize that one can often lose themselves trying to keep track of every twist and every name brought up, specially since everybody seems to have their hand in this pot and they all play a role in the final outcome. That, however, should not discourage anybody from seeing it. If you miss something, that is what the rewind button is there for.

All in all, this thriller is a well paced movie, that keeps you with peeled eyes for all the small details that amount to a solid feature, packed with pretty decent acting, some humor and some really cool shots as well. Also worth noting was the editing, which I felt was above par. However, as one can expect from a movie acted almost entirely by teenagers only…the ball is dropped here and there when it comes to acting. That too, should not discourage anybody from seeing it. In the end I still throught it was pretty damned solid.

Rating: 4 out of 5
Notes: Some language, violence and adult situations
Quote: Brendan Frye: I’ve got knives in my eyes, I’m going home sick.

• Director: Renny Harlin
• Genre: Action/Horror/Thriller
• Year: 2006

Why did I go see this movie?

No, that is not a rethorical question, I really want to know what possessed me to see this movie. Typical teenage fest which held no promise and only had a witchy twist to go for it. Even after seeing the previews I ended up seeing this flick, and while I know some of you are fans of watching movies like this just because you are in love with watching teenage girls in skimpy clothes (I won’t mention any names but you guys know who you are) I do not consider myself in that group. Yes there was some very nice shots of nude backs and girls in panties and girls with hardly anything on…but it hardly is enough to save this movie from the pit of retardation it has tossed itself into.

The idea is that, five families of witches have lived secretly in the North East, passing their power to their eldest son. Four of them, all good friends, have been gifted with a certain amount of their power, waiting for the day of their ascention on their 18th birthday when their powers fully form. Some use their powers responsibly and others don’t, though it really does not matter, because the film holds no consequences in the end, when the fifth son returns and seeks to take out the oldest of the witches…or whatever they are.

Seriously, this movie sucks, about as bad as “The Skulls” or any other flick along this genre you can think of. Bad acting all around, horrible dialogue, bad storytelling as a whole, and even the powers the characters have are lame. They seriously failed to stretch their creative muscles with this one. And so, what you end up with is a sad film with a handful of T&A scenes and nothing else. So yeah, I want my money back.

Rating: 1 out of 5
Notes: Brief nudity, some adult content, some language, overdone teenage angst and drama.
Quote: Chase Collins: I’m going to make you my Wee-yotch!

• Director: Martin Scorsese
• Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
• Year: 2006

I had not seen anything by Scorsese since Bringing Out the Dead and Gangs of New York both movies which I really enjoyed. Needless to say, I knew that I was going to have to see this movie on opening weekend, which thankfully I was able to do.

I have to say that it had been a while since I saw a movie this well put together in a while (in this genre at least), with a rock solid plot, an engaging theme, and acting which I have only praise for. Though I am not a big fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, I found that he outdid himself in this movie (I never saw The Aviator, though I hear he did really well in that movie as well). Who knows, maybe the guy has really grown to solidify his acting and the promise that was there in Romeo + Juliet and Basketball Diaries has finally fully blossomed. Whatever the case, he shines in his role in this movie and he is not the only one. Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, there is a cast here that carries their weight with absolutely no problems.

The theme? Rats. Rats in the police force and rats in the crime world. Both Damon and DiCaprio are rats on opposite teams, each trying to outdo the other, each trying to expose the other and each trying to make sure their side wins. And though this is no surprise (you find this early on in the film) the way it plays out is very intruiging. Also, this film manages to break away from the Hollywood formula and presents us with something that is certainly a welcomed change.

I do not want to give too much away, but suffice it to say there is plenty of action in this film, good dialogue, good acting, good directing…I mean, you really can not lose.

Rating: 5 out of 5
Notes: Heavy violence, heavy language, adult situations, sexuality and brief nudity.
Quote: Frank Costello: When I was your age, they would say you could become cops or criminals. What I’m saying is this: When you’re facing a loaded gun, what’s the difference?

• Director: Roger Allers, Jill Culton & Anthony Stacchi
• Genre: Animation/Family/Adventure/Comedy
• Year: 2006

This is probably the first movie I see that is directed by three people (well, not counting Three Extremes, which is different, each director in that one directed a part of it). And you would think that putting three heads together would make this a gem…and yet it does not.

Part Shrek, part Monsters Incorporated and part Over the Hedge this movie seems to steal ideas from a number of recent animated flicks and still does not amount to them…though perhaps it is at equal standing with Over the Hedge, it certainly falls short of matching the Pixar and Dreamworks animated films also mentioned.

While technically the movie is well put together, there is actually no great plot to hold it that way, and as such it often feels bland when looking at the general scope of things. That being said, both Ashton Kutcher and Martin Lawrence do enough to keep the movie light hearted and to at least make the characters likeable even if slightly shallow.

However, while I may complain about the details of this movie, I should say that kid will still enojoy it and there are a number of parts which are entertaining enough that one does not feel tortured to have to sit and watch it with them. You will laugh a bit and in the end, while you will certainly not feel fulfilled, you will at least be glad the kids are smiling.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Notes: A kids film, a bit violent at parts but nothing most kids can not handle
Quote: Elliot: [when Boog asks where are the toilets in the forest] I see a bush right over there with your name on it.
Boog: I can’t go in a bush!
Elliot: Come on, it’s just like riding a bicycle… except you’re crapping on it.

• Director: Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris
• Genre: Drama/Comedy
• Year: 2006

If I were to say that I had not laughed like this since I saw ‘Meet the Parents’ and ‘There is Something About Mary” I would be doing this movie a disservice, even if the statement is true. There is no doubt that this movie had me laughing histarically throughout various parts of it, the kind of uncontained laughter that seems to take over the entire theatre. But the thing is, this movie is well above and beyond what either of those two comedies were. Where ‘Mary’ and ‘Parents’ were comedy for the sake of comedy, this independent film has a much more dramatic undertone to it and a lot more serious social commentary.

The story revolves around a very avarage family…so average in fact that it is almost sad, considering the level of disfunctionality in just about every member. And yet, through the course of this film as the youngest member of the family is invited to participate in the Little Miss Sunshine competition, one is given the opportunity to see the beauty in each character. Through this film, we are treated to non-original material that is somehow transforemed into something new, fresh and incredibly entertaining while at the same time granting some very human, touching moments.

Superbly directed and acted, though this movie is clearly not a big budget film, it certainly achieves more than most movies coming out of large studios in recent months. So yes, without giving too much away, go see this movie, it will definitely be worth the time and money!

And sorry if it took me so long to review this, I actually saw this a while back and completely spaced out on reviewing it.

Rating: 5 ouy of 5
Notes: Adult content and some language
Quote: Olive: Grandpa, am I pretty?
Grandpa: You are the most beautiful girl in the world.
Olive: You’re just saying that.
Grandpa: No! I’m madly in love with you and it’s not because of your brains or your personality.