Oldboy - 2003

Only the Koreans deliver top notch revenge flicks... and this 2003 romp is generally considered the best, or at least, the most popular. Directed by Chan-wook Park from the Japanese anime of the same name, Oldboy received critical acclaim when it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004 - most significantly from director Quentin Tarantino.

The story follows business man Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik; previously seen in I Saw the Devil) who on the night of his daughters birthday gets into a brawl and held at the local police station. After getting bailed out from his friend Joo-Hwan, Oh Dae-su goes to a pay phone to call his wife and tell her that he'll be running late.

Before he gets a chance to talk to them Oh Dae-su is taken and held in a small room. Without any knowledge of who has taken him and why, Oh Dae-su is held.. fed dumplings and forced to sit alone for the incredible period of 15 years. Attempts at suicide and self harm are useless, as whoever is holding him periodically gases the room... and during this time, the captors clean, and maintain his health with a dosage of drugs. Time passes, and Oh Dae-su spends his time getting fit.. and preparing himself for his release, so that when the time comes... he can find out who did this to him, and "rip him from limb to limb".

Oh Dae-su is released with a brand new suit on the top of a building and begins to piece together just where he was and who held him. Given a mobile phone and wallet full of cash by a man on the street, Oh Dae-su goes to a local restaurant where he meets Mi-do, a sweet young chef...

That'll do for the plot... any more would probably delve into spoiler zone and this is one film that I'm glad I wasn't told anything about. At a running length of 2 hours, the film just speeds along... and I think it's mainly due to the work of actor Choi Min-sik who transforms from this slightly stupid drunk into a man that will stop at nothing to find the man responsible for turning him into a beast.

The photography and edits are all great... One scene in particular that involves a hammer is exceptionally outstanding... and as expected with most Korean cinema, it's slick and stylish and violent. Not as bad as I was expecting, but a few scenes of teeth pulling did get my attention and make me sound like a little girl. If you're a fan of revenge films.. such as Kill Bill, I'd totally send you straight to the shops to pick this film up. You won't be disappointed.

The fun with all these movies is piecing together the puzzle and trying to figure out who is responsible for this horrible crime. There are plenty of twists and turns in this film and I can guarantee you that you won't be able to take your eyes off the dazzling work that's on display in this amazingly fun... but surprisingly depressing and miserable film. Loved it.

Naked - 1993

Next up on my cinematic smorgasbord... Mike Leigh's 1993 masterpiece.... Click here for my video review!! Happy Valentines Day... HAHAH

Machinist, The - 2004

Most well known as "that film where he lost all that weight", The Machinist is an excellent psychological thriller that will keep you guessing and staring at the stupidly skinny Christian Bale.

Directed by Brad Anderson (who's work you'd know from many HBO series) it follows the life of Trevor Reznik, a machinist who has been suffering insomnia for the past year. His massive weight loss and odd behaviour has caused his work colleagues to distance themselves from him... and when he is responsible for one of his co-workers to lose an arm they turn on him and things begin to get crazy!!! After trying to find the man who was distracting him at the time of the accident, it is revealed that not only is there no record of this man (Ivan) working at the plant, but no one else has seen him before. Convinced that this is all an elaborate plan to drive Trevor insane, he goes on a journey to discover the truth and find out what the visions he's been having mean.

I won't go too far into the plot of this film, because part of the fun I found was just going along with the ride and discovering things as Reznik does.

The film was shot in and around Barcelona and looks incredible. I found the cinematography to be incredibly beautiful... and even though it used a monochromatic palette, it totally captures the dark and twisted world that Trevor is living in. Blues, greens and greys are used so effectively here ... and it's almost jarring when something red or bright comes onto the screen... I'm assuming that was a deliberate choice of director Brad Anderson.

It was reported that Christian Bale lost 28 kilo's for the role... stating on the DVD commentary that his diet of 1 apple and a cup of coffee helped him achieve such a scary weight loss. It pays off... with many of the scenes in this film Bale is topless and or running around in clothes that just drape off him. Bale portrays the insanity and struggle of his character very well, and also invests you emotionally in his downward spiral... Jennifer Jason Leigh also stars in this film as a prostitute that develops feelings for Reznik and does a standard job.

It runs at a brief 97 minutes and I feel it's a perfect length. Whilst I did pick the twist at the end, it was still an enjoyable film and reminds you that beneath all the yelling that Bale does in films like Batman and Terminator, there is a really talented man here... that can not only lose shit loads of weight in films... but act his pants off.

Leon (aka The Professional) - 1994

Look, I know this is a 90's classic... and I should've already seen it... but whatever ok... jeeze. Get off my back!!

This slick film is directed by the talented Luc Besson; who is best known for giving us Milla Jovovich with fluoro orange hair and tight white stripping... But in this film, he has given us a break-through performance by an incredibly talented Natalie Portman.

If you're not familiar with the story, it follows Leon (played by Jean Reno) a "cleaner" (hitman) living a solitary life in New York City. He spends his time looking after his pot plant, watching Gene Kelly films and working out. He receieves his jobs from a man named Tony, who runs an Italian restaurant. One day, he meets Mathilda (Natalie Portman) who lives in the same apartment building. The two instantly strike up a slightly odd connection. Mathilda lives with her trashy family with her father who stores drugs for crooked DEA agents. When they find out that her father is taking a certain percentage of drugs for his own personal use, they execute everyone... except Mathilda who is out buying milk. When she arrives back, he walks straight past her door, seeing her father face down and pumped full of bullets... Realising she has no way of being safe, she rings on the door of Leon. After some hesitation, he lets her in and begins training her how to "clean" (be an assassin).

I always knew this movie was regarded by the geeks as a classic genre film, but I was hesitant in watching it because my expectations were high. Having know watched the Director's Cut, I can say with all certainty that this is one kick-ass film.

It's stylish direction just threw me in and I was blown away by Portman in his role. The whole film relies on her for you to invest in her character... She is sweet and kind, but you can also see deep down inside that she is a broken soul. Jean Reno is also great fun as Leon. He portrays a serious and deadly killer and his methodical nature to his life is perfect for the character of someone who "sleeps with one eye open". Playing the baddie in this film is a Gary Oldman, who gets some golden moments of cheezy acting in this film. The scenes where he takes some pills and does his little shiver are brilliant.

The music choices are all excellent, and used effectively through-out the film... although I was kinda wondering why Sting was used for the closing credits... it did feel a touch out of place. The film was shot mostly in New York and the city looks great and really adds to the chaos and craziness that the characters are living in. As I said at the beginning, the film is slick... The camera angles and cuts are all pretty fine.. there were a few shots in the film that I'd never seen before... and that's always fun to discover. I was lucky enough to see the Director's Cut and knowing the scenes that were left out, I'm glad I did... At a running length of 2 hrs and 12 minutes it zips along...

There were a few moments of predictability and some scenes of sentimentality that I probably could've lived without... But overall this is a great ride and a pretty enjoyable film. Portman is ridiculously good in this role... and it's no wonder she's gone on to do great work in Black Swan. If you wanna see the inspiration for Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass .. then look no further.

Great 90's action!!!

Katyn - 2007

Kinda not the movie I wanted to be watching at 10am this morning, but nevertheless, I stuck with it and gave it a go... And while is was not the best viewing or the easiest, it was certainly something that stuck with me and shed some light on a moment in history that I had no idea about.

For those of you out there like me, shocking with history, Katyn is a town approximately 19km west of Smolensk in Russia where in 1940 it's estimated that 22,000 people were murdered and buried in shallow graves by the Russian Soviet Secret Police. Some really heavy fucking shit.

Now, I won't go into the details of all the history of that... firstly because I would probably be the worst person to talk to... and secondly, this is a film blog... not a National Geographic blog.

Directed by Academy Award winning director Andrzej Wajda and based on the book Post Mortem: The Story of Katyn (by Andrzej Mularczyk) the film is told through the eyes of the mothers, wives and children of the officiers that are killed. The plot is fairly straight forward here... and i guess Wajda isn't really interested in detailed and heavy narrative to get the message of the truth out there...

When father Andrzej is captured by the Soviet Army, he keeps a detailed journal of the events that are taking place; complete with the names and rankings of people being taken away. On a particularly cold night, a man named Jerzy lends him a jacket that just so happens to have his name sewn into it. When Andrzej and Jerzy become separated, Jerzy is sent home just before a Nazi Propaganda list is released, showing that Jerzy in fact died... and Andrzej is still alive. In 1943, when Germany discovers the mass graves, they blame the Soviets... However, in post war Poland, history was re-written by the Russians... Finally, the truth can be told.

Enough of my shocking attempts of history lessons... I haven't seen any of Wadja's previous films, although his name is definitely one I have heard of. Considering he made this film at the ripe age of 81, he is a true craftsman.. and his efforts are all on display here.

This is a fine film, an important one... One that you can't really fault. The cast are all superb and convey all the horrible emotions of the time... The film looks and feels amazing. I was lucky enough to have bought this on blu-ray and the HD transfer makes everything look incredible. The locations are all beautifully photographed with some great tones of grey, blue and brown and the shots are all classically and choreographed elegantly.

The music reminded me a bit of a Hans Zimmer score... Although that would be the only thing I could really fault... As I said, this is an extraordinary film maker at the top of his game... I think you can honestly tell the emotional investment in this film that Wadja has... (his father was an officer killed in Kaytn) so, the film has that honesty and isn't really pulling any emotional manipulation strings. It simply speaks for itself.

So, if you're a fan of Schindler's List, Downfall or just history in general, this film is certainly one that should be seen... And now thanks to Andrzej Wadja, a new generation will know the truths behind one of histories greatest lies.

Julia - 2008

Just when you thought there couldn't be any more flicks about desperate chicks needing money and going to great lengths to get said cash... I proved you wrong with this indie film starring Oscar winner Tilda Swinton.

Co-written and directed by French film-maker Erick Zonca, it premiered at the Berlin Film Festival where it was widely regarded as one of the highlights of the festival and Swinton's performance the best the panel had viewed. I remember a few years ago critic Roger Ebert was campaigning for the Academy to acknowledge Swinton's performance also... Unfortunately it didn't do much good, but thanks to all the recognition, I found myself buying this film and overall liking it.

As I mentioned, Julia is the story of an alcoholic, reckless woman; who's one night stands and drunken bursts contribute to her losing her job as a real estate agent and back into AA meetings. It is here where she meets Elena. After Elena finds Julia passed out on the road one night, she takes her back to her apartment where she offers Julia a proposition- kidnap her son Tom from her ex-husband. Elena promises good money to Julia should everything go smoothly. When it is revealed that Elena doesn't have the money and will be delivered to Julia at a later date, Julia takes things into her own hands and comes up with a plan. Realising how much "extra" money she could earn, Julia decides to kidnap the son and hold him ransom from his mother... "The double cross of a fucking lifetime" she says.

As usual in these fucking misery fests, things don't go so well and poor old Julia is forced into some disgusting and absolutely horrible situations. Tilda Swinton; who I have always enjoyed watching.. (even as the White Witch in Narnia) is outstanding in this film. I'm pretty sure had they not snagged her in this role, the film wouldn't have been made and or been pretty average. She brings so much to this character... and even though it's one we are all used to watching... Swinton's acting chops are just full on. She brings a great level of strength and smarts to this seemingly useless and messed up individual. The supporting cast are all equally competent... with the highlight being Tom, played by Aiden Gould (brother to the talented Nolan who you'd know from Modern Family)

The film is shot mostly with hand-held cameras- giving it that intimate and gritty nature. Also being shot on location in California and Mexico adds to the realistic nature that makes this film all the more believable.

Whilst I had some issues with the length (running at 2 hrs and 15 mins), I was mostly disappointed with the ending. I won't give too much away... but I was hoping ... perhaps that Julia's redemption was a bit more deserved and without giving anything away I found it a bit more convenient than anything else.

After all is said and done, this film is not a compulsory watch, but if you like solid acting from a strong leading lady... this film will deliver.

I Saw the Devil - 2010

It wasn't my intention to watch 2 films in a row with the word devil included in the title, but it seems to have happened. Fate? Or co-incidence? Maybe I have to go back to the island? Hmm.. maybe not.

Anyways, this Korean gem belongs to director Kim Ji-woon; one of the top 3 Korean film-makers around at the moment. Following a rather long and great tradition of "vengeance" this

film takes it to the next level and just when you think it couldn't go anywhere else or go any further... You're already down the next path.

The story follows Kim Soo Hyun- a secret agent who after the death of his fiancee, tracks down her killer... only to catch him.... release him... and do this over and over until... well, one of them meets their grizzly end. Ok, so the story isn't amazing... or is it something we haven't seen before... but the violence and level that the story takes it to is unlike anything I have seen before.

I am a fan of Kim Ji-woon's previous films... the first being "A Bittersweet Life" and the rather interesting Korean western "The Good, The Bad, The Weird" ... The man is a really fascinating director, and I have always responded to his interesting use of the camera and the way he pushes boundaries in terms of the stylish flairs of his films. You can totally see the progression that has come before and led to this film, which is not his best.. but certainly the most ambitious.

Fans of the epic film "Oldboy" will wet themselves at the sight of actor Choi Min-sik as the fucking bananas villian in this film... a killer that has absolutely no problem with cutting up women, stabbing victims 60 million times... just for fun. Some reviews have called this film over the top and ridiculous, but I thought everything in this film... whilst not justified was certainly plausible. I especially loved how everyone is portrayed as a monster... and the line between "revenge" and becoming a fucking psychopath is so blurred it almost needed me to get an OPSM appointment.

If you love love LOVE Korean cinema and respond well to seeing people tortured and getting their just desserts, then this film is for you. And if that's not really your thing, then at least the main character is a MEGA BABE!

House of the Devil - 2009

Haunted house flicks and gore films have been pumping out of the Hollywood system for the last few years, but here is one film that slipped under the radar in Australia and thanks to many of the film bloggers out there, I was able to find this movie on blu-ray...

House of the Devil is a 2009 film directed, written and edited by Ti West. Shot to recreate the horror films of the 1970's and 80's West employs many techniques to give you a truly unique experience and a movie that you won't forget. It follows young college student Samantha Hughes in her quest to find an apartment. Strapped for cash, she finds a leaflet on a noticeboard for a "BABY $ITTER" ... She calls the number and after some waiting around, receives a response to go this house in the country. With her best friend as her ride, Samantha takes a trip to the house (co-incidently on the night of the lunar eclipse) where she finds out things aren't exactly as they appear.

Now, if you're a fan of "torture porn" affairs such as "Hostel" or the "Saw" franchise, this film probably won't appeal to you. If you like slow moving... suspension building, incredibly detailed films that totally get under your skin, then this is for you. As I mentioned before, Ti West has used many techniques to give you an authentic 70's/80's experience. The hair, costumes, props, sets... and also the editing, cuts, titles, camera angles and use of zoom are all incredibly affective.

The performances are all amazing too. Samantha, played by Jocelin Donahue does a super job of playing this young, free spirited babysitter who ... yeh ... and there are some super creepy moments with character actor Tom Noonan who plays Mr Ulman (the owner of "House of the Devil")

What I really enjoyed about this film was that it didn't need super fast editing and tonnes of visual effects to scare the audience. It's slow burning nature made me feel at unease the whole time... and there were many moments where I was screaming out and just making "errghhhh" noises in reaction to what was happening on screen. There are a couple of moments of "jump scares" and they work extremely effectively as they happen so randomly and because most of the film is working so quietly.

I watched this film on blu-ray and can honestly say it was such a treat. The grain that I guess would be due to the film being shot on 16mm makes it so much scarier and adds to the fun. Definitely not a film for everyone... but if you have an attention span that is quicker than cooking a packet of Mi Goreng then this film is for you... Great fun!

Godfather, The - 1972

Due to bloggers dislike for my video review - please click here to watch the file...

Frozen River - 2008

First time writer/director Courtney Hunt delivers one heck of a miserable and fascinating film touching on people smuggling in Northern America.

The story centres on Ray Eddy, a single mother who is struggling to make payments on her new trailer house that she is trying desperately to buy to keep her sons warm in the harsh winter. With a dead end job that is paying her next to nothing and the bills piling up (one for a massive plasma TV screen that pretty much looks after her children) Ray happens to meet Lila Littlewolf a mohawk bingo hall employee who takes Ray's car after she claims she found it in the car park. Eventually the two pair up and enter the dangerous world of people smuggling across St. Lawerence between America and Canada.

After seeing "The Fighter" (2010), another film starring Melissa Leo, I was curious to see her Oscar nominated performance in this movie. Along with her nomination, Hunt was nominated for Best Original Screenplay.

I am kind of sensing a trend in the movies I am watching, misery fests that offer no real happiness. The film is no different. Needless to say Ray gets in some serious shit as she struggles to make the payments for her new house. With her eldest son at home sick and tired of eating tang and popcorn, Ray is desperate to make one last run to get her family out of the shit and finally live the life they had before her husband left with all their savings.

For a first time director, Courtney Hunt really captures the environment of St. Regis Mohawk Reservation. There is a real sense of isolation in these surroundings, and what interested me about this film was how it plays with racial differences between the "white" and native inhabitants of the land. The sense of urgency and desperation by the two women is perfectly portrayed and combined with the cinematography and gritty realism of its location, Frozen River is an intense and unforgiving thriller.

If you were lucky enough to see last years incredible "Winter's Bone", I'd totally recommend this film... And if you like depressing cold films... then this is a winner! Melissa Leo is amazing.

Equus - 1977

Everyone has probably seen or heard about the controversy of Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe starring in the 2007 stage version.. but, before the boy wizard got his dick out on stage... there was a film version directed by the legendary Sidney Lumet.

Written by Peter Shaffer in 1973, it is based on the true story of a 17 yr old boy who stabs and blinds 6 horses in a stable. Without knowing any of the backstory to this crime, Shaffer wrote this play to explain why such a young man would commit such an incredibly horrific act.

We meet psychiatrist Martin Dysart (played by Richard Burton), who is assigned by a court magistrate to assess and help out Alan Strang, the young man who did some serious fucking damage to these horses. Through-out the movie, we flash back via some lengthy sessions that delve into Alan's upbringing.

It is revealed that Alan's mother was a religious nutter and have raised him with the belief that sex was a dirty act but that he could find fulfilment in devotion and commitment with god. His father however, an atheist, believes that Alan is spending too much time investing in the bible, especially the violent and graphic content within its pages.

After some hard work in therapy, Dysart finally gets Alan to explain to him his first encounter with a horse... and how his parents ripped him away from this animal that he truly admired. Alan also speaks of the time he met Jill Mason, a young girl who worked in a stable. Jill suggests to her boss that Alan works in the stable and after some time, proves an extremely hard worker; both looking after the horses and keeping the stable extremely clean. He forms a rather close bond with one of the horses, who he names "Nugget" ...

This is when shit starts to get freaky ... Alan starts taking Nugget out for midnight walks ends up riding him bareback and naked, pretending to be a king.. Back in the present day, Dystart gives Alan a truth pill... to finally get to the reason why he blinded those horses.

Jill takes Alan to a erotic cinema, where they watch some nice Swedish material... things are going well until Alan spots his father... apart from the anger and confusion, Alan finally realises that sex is a natural thing for men to do. Jill and Alan head back to the stable to finish off what they were starting at the cinema... The two get freaky until Alan hears the horses below... He begs them for forgiveness; seeing them as God-like figures... He yells at Jill to leave and then starts screaming "THEY SEE YOU... HE SEES YOU... FOREVER..."

Alan heads downstairs and takes a hoof pick and stabs all six horses in the eye!!!

PHEW!!!

This story is mental. Like, heavy shit. Amazingly acted and directed by the incredible Lumet... he takes you right into the lives of all these really deep and evolved characters. Adapted by Shaffer himself from his stage play... the man knows what he's doing. Screen icons Joan Plowright and Eileen Atkins tear some of this dialogue up... but the show really belongs to the performances from 7 time Oscar nominee Richard Burton and Peter Firth (who plays Alan).

I don't know how to really take this film apart... but if you're in the mood for a fucking epic misery fest with some really interesting views of worshipping and religion then this is for you. If you're a horse lover.. it might be a bit awkward for you at the end.

Equus is hard viewing... but certainly fascinating.

Days of Being Wild - 1991

Despite being quite a fan of Asian cinema, I don't actually recall seeing any of Wong Kar-wai's films. The man is possibly one of the most popular directors hailing from China and Days of Being Wild is his first partnership with Australian born cinematographer Christopher Doyle.

Loosely described as "Rebel without a Cause", this film centres on "York" a play-boy character who meets Su; a store attendant who he tells he will never forget their meeting. She becomes infatuated with this man, and ultimately falls in love with him. Being unable to commit her, York turns her away. It deals with rejection and how people cope with losing people. Kinda. The strange relationship with his adopted mother, a former prostitute is also touched upon as possibly one of the reasons why York finds these women, and can never commit to any of them.

After his adopted mother tells him she is leaving to go to America, York decides to go travelling to the Philippines to meet his real mother. Unfortunately, things don't exactly work out and this "bird" meets his fate in a rather dramatic conclusion.

I was more interested in this film to see the early work of this much loved director... who has gone on to make some very well known movies.. the most popular would be "In the Mood for Love" (2000). I was also keen to see how the work of cinematographer Christopher Doyle has developed over the years. Doyle, who is responsible for films such as Hero, Paranoid Park, Rabbit-Proof Fence to name a few.

The film is very lush and technically very savvy... in large part thanks to the music and production design- placing me very firmly in the hot and sweaty Hong Kong in the 1960's. All the actors do a fine job, it was cool to see a rather young Andy Lau pop up as a policeman too.

If you're a fan of Eastern cinema and perhaps are a fan of Kar-wai or just like lush visuals and some Asian hotties, I'd send this flick your way. If you're after something with a bit more of a bite, I'd look elsewhere. Either way, there is something to enjoy in this Asian treat.

Citizen Kane - 1941

Currently known as the "greatest film ever made", I was always a bit ashamed to say I'd never seen it. Voted by American critics and audiences, the Orson Welles directorial debut is certainly one of the finest films I've ever seen.

As I understand it, Orson Welles was approached by the RKO studio (who also produced the original KING KONG) after his extremely successful and rather controversial radio play of "War of the Worlds". Welles was then given free range to choose his actors, crew and basically have final cut of his film...

A brave choice for the studio, but they obviously saw something in the 25 yr old (holy fuck I have nothing to show for my life) and he eventually cast himself in the lead role, along with writing and directing responsibilities.

If you're not familiar with the story, it's quite simple... a dying man utters his last word... "Rosebud.." and because this man happened to be like, the richest man in the world... the news is MASSIVE... Enter news reporter Jerry Thompson, who tries to discover who this man was... based on his dying word. The film flashes back to key moments of Kane's life as Thompson interviews key figures from the tycoon's life.

What impressed me most about this movie, was how current it still was. It is simply and purely, classic story-telling. One thing that stood out, was the photography. I remember being back in high school and my teacher telling me stories about how Welles used the camera and the use of focus... At the time I wasn't really interested but I wish now I was paying attention. His use of lighting and technical skills with the camera, I'm assuming would've been quite groundbreaking at the time... The use of low angles in this film resulted in Welles digging a trench in the studio to allow the camera to be right underneath his characters.

Ultimately Kane is a treasure, and if you haven't seen it, I would suggest you get around to it. There are some fascinating stories about the making of this film and included on the DVD is a 2 hour documentary (not viewed) that sheds some light on this film and the man behind it.

Oh, and if you don't know what Rosebud is already... watch the film, it's a rather sweet reveal.

Basquait - 1996

Before watching this film, I had no idea who this man was, nor the art he produced. I had purchased this movie quite a long time ago when I saw it in a bargain bin for $5 ... and I am so glad I did.

Directed by Julian Schnabel ("The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"), this story is a biopic/drama about the life of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. If you're like me and not really into the "art world" you possibly might not know who this guy was... which is a shame because his art is really quite impressive. Using his roots as a graffiti artist, Basquait built a following with his skills combing the graffiti/ghetto style of expressionism into large panels of work.

The film is a pretty standard affair, although one thing that caught my eye was the ridiculous cast! Courtney Love, Gary Oldman, David Bowie, Parker Posey, Christopher Walken, Benincio Del Toro, Claire Forlani, Willem Dafoe, Dennis Hopper and even a very young Sam Rockwell makes an appearance. All the characters are (I believe) based on real people from his life... with the most influential being his best friend Andy Warhol (as played by Bowie) who at times steals some scenes.

However, it is really Jeffrey Wright that carries this film, apart from being a mega babe, he totally captures the "struggling artist" character and brings a real honest and humble quality to this very talented individual.

I really would've liked a bit more depth to his character though, and I would presume that might have something to do with first time writer/director Schnabel. At times I felt it was more about showcasing his art and style - without going into some real substance of what made this man tick. There are small hints at his struggle being an African/American through-out this film but perhaps there may have been something more to explore.

Overall this film is a good introduction into a very talented artist who's life was cut short thanks to a (you guessed it...) heroin overdose. If anything, watch this film like I did... and then do some research into the amazing art that Basquait created. You won't be disappointed.

All About My Mother - 1999

A great way to kick of my blog! Although, half way watching this film I realised I had seen this film before.... but a very long time ago.

I'm so glad I watched this again, because the first time I obviously wasn't paying attention to this amazing film. Directed by Pedro Almodovar, his 1999 Oscar winning film is a tribute "To all actresses who have played actresses. To all women who act. To men who act and become women. To all the people who want to be mothers. To my mother."

The story centres around Manuela, a nurse who deals with organ transplants and transfers who goes to find the father of her son after he dies trying to get an autograph from Huma; an actress starring in a production of "A Streetcar Named Desire"

Having travelled to Barcelona, Manuela meets up with an old friend; Agrado- rather witty transsexual prostitute. Along the way she meets Rosa (a rather young Penelope Cruz) - a nun who looks after battered women. After seeing another performance of Huma in "Streetcar", Manuela becomes her assistant and gets involved in the theatre... Explaining any more of this story would probably ruin the experience, because part of the joy I found whilst watching this movie was just going along with it and kind of seeing where was going to take me.

Almodovar has a true gift in writing women's characters. Not a single man in this film (apart from the son who dies 10 mins in) and they are all so different and quirky. If you've seen any of the mans films, you'll know what I am talking about. If not, go rent some now.

The thing about this film is you don't know how to take it. Sure, you could kinda take it as a parody or a send up of soap opera style dramas, or take it seriously as the characters do in the film. The acting is all top class, and sometimes over the top... but these women are so lovely and likeable I found myself totally invested in their lives and stories. I guess that's a testament to the writing..

As in most of his work, the photography and production design is flashy. Filled with bright colours and light... It feels like it should be out of place, but somehow it all works together. The music, which was composed by regular collaborator Alberto Iglesias is brilliantly suited- enhancing the moods with dark themes and also more up beat music as well.

I'd totally recommend this film to anyone really, I think it's a fun 97 minutes and certainly flies by. It's a slightly emotional experience, but thanks to the good humoured approach and positive characters, you don't leave this miserable and depressed (considering how much shit goes down).

Please feel free to leave any comments below and some suggestions for films to watch in the future! Thanks!

Let's Start at the Very Beginning.

A very good place to start. First of all, welcome to my new blog.

This is a little experiment I have chosen to do for the month of February to see if I can watch a film a day for every letter of the alphabet. It's simple really. Let's hope I can keep it up. So with no work for 1 month, and a rather large and dusty DVD collection, I hope to entertain all my friends and maybe gain some sort of viral attention/online fame whilst watching some amazing films!

So, as I embark on this journey, please feel free to add your feedback and suggest movies for the rest of the alphabet. I'm trying to watch films I haven't seen before... but suggest away. You'd be surprised at what I have NOT seen (Godfather *COUGH* Sound of Music *COUGH*).

I look forward to hearing from you all and spending lots of time in front of my plasma!

See you at the movies,

Ben Chuah :)