film roll

15. Up (2009)

Date watched: 21st September 2009 @Cinema Nova in 3D with friends

Rating: 5/5

Thoughts: Honestly, the cutest and most heart warming film I’ve watched in a long time :)  The 3D glasses didn’t make much of a difference in my opinion but anyways… they played up on stereotypes of the old man and the lil boy which were very endearing and close to real life… I loved the ‘talking dogs’ hahaha ‘SQUIRREL!’ and ‘POINT!’ And it was just a movie that could be enjoyed by the young and the old… we sat in a morning session and since it was the first day of the school term holidays, there were many grandparents and lil kids in the audience… Josh made a comment that we’ll see a lot of grandparents being inspired to go off on their own adventures after watching the film lol

The best thing was that the jokes were clean and easy to understand :) would totally watch it again!

 

 

14. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Date watched: 8th May 2009 @Victoria Gardens with a movie fanatic :D

Rating: 4/5

Thoughts: DANIEL HENNEY!!! love love love the dude, pity I didn’t have a like-minded fangirl to gush over his finely chiseled features with me when watching the film (no offense, dear friend!) and pity also that he was Agent Zero, one of the bad guys that had to die mid-way through… anyway, the plot was interesting and I liked how everything was interwoven together, only question I have atm, is why did Wolverine and his brother stay the same age over time…? Perhaps thats devulging too much info the the potential viewer but you’d understand why I’m asking that question.   I didn’t find the fight scenes particularily that impressive but maybe that’s coz I’ve become numb to it all since watching more gruesome and violent scenes in Crime and Culture class :S  I liked the development of each character, particularily Wolverine’s love interest… it worked well and I think if you watched the film again with the knowledge that you gain by the end, you’d see things in a new light :)

point to consider: make sure you watch the film to the very end of the credits… little extra ;)

 

13. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Date watched: 26th February 2009 @Knox Village with Dad

Rating: 5/5

Thoughts: Again, this was a movie’s whos reputation had preceded itself… since it won 8/10 nominations at the 2008 Academy Awards, I did have high expectations to be wowed or at least entertained for the entire 2hrs of screen time.  I loved it.  The plot had so much depth and meaning and each scene was so expertly woven through the film that it seemed like a plausible storyline that could have existed in real life… I also applaud Danny Boyle for bringing the reality of the Indian slums to the global stage… yes many know of them but to see the undeniable poverty and lack of humanity in the film is an entirely different experience.  I appreciated the authenticity of all the acting and the highlighting of the religious confict in India was also admirable.

A beautiful masterpiece worthy of its Academy Awards. 

 

 12. WALL-E (2008)

Date watched: 8th February 2009 @home on DVD

Rating: 5/5 stars

Thoughts: VERY CUTE! Been wanting to watch this since it was first released in cinemas but never found the time so what better time than in the holidays right?

The film was very well thought out, every little detail was considered and the robots were all so CUTE! could have gushed over them forever except I had to return the DVD lol

Pixar has a real nack of picking up really good projects, I love the majority of their films: Monsters Inc, Nemo, Toy Story… hmmm can’t think of any others right now haha…Wall-E was good also coz it could be watched on a number of different levels… they’re the types of films I like… the kids could enjoy it purely on face value but older ‘kids’ ie. parents and teens + can also see the deeper message of looking after our world because its the only one we’re got and nothing can replace it once its destroyed.

 

11. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Date watched: 31st January 2009 with Rich/Res Youth @Jam Factory cinemas

Rating: 4/5 stars

Thoughts: I was given mixed comments from various  people who had seen it already, some saying it was too long and boring… some really loving it… so with that in mind, I went in with no expectations.  It moved a bit slow but once you accepted that you could enjoy it.  My favourite gag was the guy who kept telling his experiences of being struck by lightnight… it would come out at such random points in the movie it was hilarious… Cate Blachett was very beautiful as a red-head and though I’ve never been a fan of Brad Pitt as eye candy (I know, shocker right??), I must admit he was quite good-looking when he was portraying the 20-year old looking Benjamin Button.

We were all curious how they would make Benjamin transition from a young strong man to a teenager and younger but it was done well and not what we expected… was a sad tale but I guess it showed how much you need to make of the moments you do have and also love the people around you because nothing is for certain in this world.

10. Material Girls (2006)

Date watched: Wednesday 28th January 2009 with mum @Rosebud retreat on DVD

Rating: 1/5

Comments: Argh, such a superficial movie, it was painful watching it… had NO substance whatsoever, it was not even worth the dollar and 97 mins of my life that I will never get back -_-

It was the stereotypical blonde, clueless heiresses that lose their fortune in a scam of some sort and some good-looking poor (in wealth I mean) guys help them out of their jam… the mandatory kisses at the end felt so unnatural and unnecessary to the storyline it was gross lol

The fashion wasn’t particularly exciting either… probably coz its been a few years since it was released and all the clothes in the movie looked daggy in comparison to whats in the stores nowadays…

I’d strongly recommend that NOONE watches this dud… I’m usually not so critical but this was bad bad bad…

 

9. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Date: Wednesday 28th January 2009 with parents @Rosebud Retreat on DVD

Rating: 4/5

Thoughts: Had heard so much about this film before finally getting a chance to rent it and see what it was all about… explored some interesting concepts, family, death, love, anger, angst etc.  didn’t know what o expect so I guess I was abit surprised at what unfolded…Abigail is such a good actress and plays her role as the lil girl with the big pageant dream to the dot (if thats the right phrase to use) while each of the other characters added to the dynamic of the odd- family conumdrum… not something I’d watch again but it was a feel good movie.

 

 

 

8. Seven Pounds (2008)

Date watched: Tuesday 13th January 2009 with parents @Village Century City cinema

Rating: 5/5

 Thoughts: compelling, thought-provoking… made me leave the theatre thinking I need to make the most of the life I have now.

 

 

 

 

 

7. Welcome to the Sticks (2008)

Date watched: Thursday 8th January 2009 for Iona’s birthday @Moonlight Cinemas

Rating: 5/5

 Thoughts: a heart-warming lil French film that was endearing all the way through :)

 

 

 

6. Iron Man (2008)

Date watched: Thursday 1st January 2009 with parents @home on DVD

Rating: 5/5 stars

Thoughts: When I first watched the trailer of this movie before its release I was quite skeptical about the watchability of it… then after it was released, I thought the hype about it was overrated, but I must say that Iron Man went above and beyond my expectations… the storyline was believable and the acting was perfect… each actor fit the role exactly especially Robert Downey Jr. – I thought it was his best role to date (though I haven’t really followed his career so I’m probably not qualified to make that statement lol)… again the fact that my parents enjoyed it without asking me too many questions meant that they were able to successfully translate all the emotions and feelings onto the screen so I’d happily watch it again :P

also how awesome was the the technology of the Iron Man suit??? gotta get me one of those somehow ;)

 

 

5. Bedtime Stories (2008)

Date watched: 30th December 2008 with Chantel @MC

Rating: 3/5 stars

Thoughts: the acting wasn’t fantastic though it was interesting to see Courtney Cox for the first time in another role other than Monica, though her mum character had similar qualities as her Friends’ part eg. bit of a control freak lol Adam Sandler kinda ruined it for me… I felt he kinda overdid it and verged on annoying as Skeeter Bronson, the hotel handyman… seemed like a kid who hadn’t learnt any manners lol but i guess coz it was a kids movie the acting really didn’t matter as much as the plot which was fun to say the least… and the kids who played Skeete’s niece and nephew were so so SO cute ^^ it was an interesting concept, bedtime stories coming alive and it was clever in how they delivered and presented the stories when they did cross over to the real world…

overall, a good laugh but not something I would watch twice :)

4. The Dark Knight (2008)

Date watched: 29th December 2008 watched alone @home on DVD

Rating: 4/5 stars

Thoughts: definately a well-made film, with all the special effects… lol, early quotes were returned to in the latter parts of the movie but not as often or as cliché as in the first Batman..favourite quote “the night is darkest just before the dawn”… the Joker was insane though, I can understand why Heath Ledger has been nominated for so many awards and not just on sympathy points because of his death… was very impressive, though I was hiding my head under a pillow nearly everytime he went to someone’s face with a knife >.<  I liked how the film explains how Two Face becomes “Two Face”… I was kinda scared for most of it and had to turn on the lights 30mins into the movie lol so if I was to watch again, I’d make sure I watch it with at least one other person :P

 

 

3. Made of Honour (2008) 

Date watched: Sunday 28th December 2008 with parents @home on DVD

Rating: 4/5 stars

Thoughts: A film that I was skeptical about but I need not have worried…Made of Honor was just the right amount of romance and comedy mixed together to make it enjoyable for all ages.. Patrick Dempsey has kinda lost his appeal for me but still makes a believable performance of the clueless guy who doesn’t realise he is in love with his best friend until its too late… I love the antics that they get up to in Scotland and I felt for him when Melissa pulled that stupid childish prank on him at the wedding shower… it made me wonder whether it is possible to fall in love with someone you’ve known for ages… and watching this film in close proximity to “Definately, Maybe” made me question also the depth of relationship you should/need to have before you could connect for life?? Am I making sense…?

 

 

2. Definitely, Maybe (2008)

Date watched: Friday 26th December 2008 alone @home on DVD

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Thoughts: Hmmm, didn’t really like the acting in this one… but since I wanted to find out who the mystery girl was I had to sit it out… I loved Isla Fisher’s character though, so bubbly, outspoken and free… I guess I hope that I can have such an open relationship with my future guy as Ryan Reynold’s character did with Isla Fisher… this was the first movie I had seen of hers and I must admit she is very very pretty ^^ she just has a natural charm about her but maybe thats also due to the role she is playing… Abigail’s always fun to watch on screen so that was a bonus… not something I would rent again though. 

 

 

 

1. Black Balloon (2008)

Date watched: Sunday 21st December 2008 with parents @home on DVD

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Thoughts: Heard about this film ages ago but never got a chance to watch it…. glad I did.  Not only did the actors do a superb performance but the story really hit home… our family experiences were not as severe as those in ”Black Balloon” but there were many scenes where I turned to my parents and said, “I remember when Samuel used to do that too!” It was such a realistic presentation of the lifestyle of a family with a special needs child that it could almost be shocking for a regular uninformed audience member but for us, it was almost a relief that finally someone understands and someone cares enough to make it known to the general public of the heartache and pain that we sometimes need to go through under the critical eyes of others (whoa, long sentence!)… as an aside, Gemma Ward’s acting really impressed me…didn’t know she had it in her lol 

Hope this film is an eye-opener for every person who watches it and a comfort for families with special needs kids that their voice is being heard, their feelings are being empathised with and that no one now has an excuse for ignorance.