Angels & Demons (2009)

4/5

I did not expect to like Angels & Demons, because I hate the work of both Ron Howard (Cinderella Man) and Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code), but I ended up enjoying it very much. The plot follows symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and his female compatriot (Ayelet Zurer) in the Vatican as a potential Illuminati threat to destroy the city becomes a reality. The plot is wholly convoluted and unnecessarily complex to an obscene degree; but if you suspend your disbelief, it entertains.

Like it or not, the story is where the movie really excels. The mysteries, the clues, and the suspicion abound in perfect proportion. As the movie progresses, the fear, the tension, and the uncertainty buid up to a climactic finale. The constant twists and turns are unpredictable, and they work. Technically, the movie was nothing to write home about. The acting is acceptable, the cinematography is mediocre, and the editing is average. Still, for its story and entertainment value, I cannot help but recommend this movie.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808151/

The International (2009)

2/5

Tom Tykwer's The International is a simple-minded action movie with more plot holes than plot. The movie stars Clive Owen and Naomi Watts as some sort of international coppers trying to bring down a bank involved in murder, terrorism, and government corruption. The bank eventually falls, we are to assume, but not really because of anything they do; instead it is through insolvency as a result of the bank's horrible large-scale investments. The whole movie is fairly predictable and uncreative, with flat, boring characters pretending to be deep, interesting ones. Their backgrounds and motivations are absent, except when they might serve as convenient plot devices. Even the action, while somewhat heart-pounding, only punctuated the film two or three times.

The one good thing about this movie was its exemplary cinematography. And it was exemplary. Wow, does Tom Tykwer know how to shoot a movie. From the opening shot, I was blown away by the compositions and camera movements. Hand in hand with the cinematography was stellar set design. And I loved how the movie took place in five or six different countries. But this is a movie, not just a well-shot travelogue, and it just doesn't live up to my expectations for a Clive Owen actiony thrillery mystery. There is much to be desired after seeing this movie, so don't waste your time.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963178/

Night on Earth (1991)

4.9/5

Night on Earth is a darkly comic drama about five taxi rides occurring simultaneously around the world--in LA, New York, Paris, Rome, and Helsinki. It is about chance encounters and the personal connections we make on a human level. It is about the humor in life, and the sadness. The first time I saw this movie, the ending absolutely floored me. This time, I can see the build-up, the gradual integration of the funny and the sobering, and still it hit me hard. I see this movie and I think, this is life. This is an accurate depiction of what humanity is capable of, in all our glory and our shame.

Despite its rather limited setup, the compositions still seem fresh and beautiful. I don't know how Jarmusch did it, but everything looks good and feels right. The writing was pitch-perfect and the acting matched. Unfortunately, the editing seemed off to me. For some reason, it lingered way too much. And it kept breaking the tension by cutting to external shots of the cabs going through the cities. Watching it again, it didn't seem as hilarious as I first remembered, although it was more touching. I cherish this movie, and highly recommend it to anyone who gets the opportunity to see it.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0102536/

Eastern Promises (2007)

4/5

David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises took me by storm. I was entirely underwhelmed by A History of Violence, so I came into the theater wary. But his new movie blew me away. In addition to a compelling and engrossing plot, believable and realistic characters portrayed through precise acting, it has quite possibly the best fight scene I've ever seen put to film. The cinematography is brilliant, as is the set design, costuming, and make-up. You cannot turn your eyes away from this film. The story unfolds effortlessly and draws us in with perfect pacing, building with twists and turns until its unforgettable climax. That's what she said.

A number of things bothered me though. First, the subtitles. Sometimes they subtitled English dialogue, or sentences spoken half in English and half Russian. This should not be so. Second, the graphic violence. Most of the time it was gratuitous, by which I mean excessive and unnecessary. There is one scene where a dead man's fingers get cut off, which isn't particularly gruesome, but it occurs after the scene has wound down and ended. This ties in with my third complaint: the editing. Every single shot and scene went on just a half second too long. It made the acting and dialogue sometimes seem stilted and staged as shots set up and rest on characters during dialogue instead of seamlessly transitioning between them. Fourth, the ending shot, which would have been cool if The Godfather movies had never been made. All in all, however, these are mostly small, nitpicky aspects and did not affect my enjoyment of the movie. What did affect my enjoyment of the movie was the idiotic family who sat behind us and treated the movie theater as their own living room, kicking seats and discussing banal topics and generally ruining the mood and ambiance. Cocksuckers.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0765443/