Devil (2010)

4/5

Devil is a terrifying movie. The plot follows five strangers who get stuck in an elevator. Through a series of violent events, we discover that one of them is the devil. And the devil's goal is to pit man against man, to brew distrust and hatred, to watch our fears and suspicions cause us to destroy our fellow man. The devil collected everyone on that elevator because of their black pasts that they don't want to admit to. A detective (Messina) who is watching on the security camera must keep everyone calm as he organizes the rescue attempt. When people inside and outside of the elevator start dying, the devil certainly gets his wish.

Because M. Night Shyamalan came up with the story and produced the film, his fingerprints are all over it. Personally, I'm a fan of his work. He envisions a closed world where every character is connected and everything happens for a reason. Like any other director, he has had his fair share of hiccups, but he provides solid entertainment with a twist ending to make you rethink the events you just watched (although it's often unsurprising because everyone expects and looks for it). The same is true of Devil, but the similarities end there.

Shyamalan's replacement director is significantly better, although not perfect. He keeps the movie plowing full force ahead while allowing you time to stop and think. You doubt every character's motivations more than once. The tension is kept at a palpable and heart-stopping level through excellent pacing. The deaths in Devil are expertly done--all off camera so that we imagine the worst. However, the scenes of pitch black are way overused. And the cinematography and special effects are below average. The best I can say of the acting is that it is not quite believable. I'm not saying that the actors did a bad job; it's just that the plot itself is so impossible that I can't imagine how anybody would react in such a situation. Overall, if the trailer had you excited, you will love this movie. It delivers thrills and chills in a well-crafted psychological horror movie.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1314655/

(500) Days of Summer (2009)

4.9/5

Marc Webb's (500) Days of Summer has an infuriating title. It's annoying typing all those parentheses while organizing an outing to see the movie; or while adding, deleting, and re-adding it to Google Calendar when plans change; or while talking about how good it is with friends. And I would bet money on the fact that the parentheses don't even mean anything. They're just flourishes to make the movie seem indie-cool. Luckily, that's the worst part about the movie. Everything else is perfect.

Starring two of the leading indie actors working today (Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel), you can tell this is going to be an indie film. And it is. From the hipster outfits to the eclectic soundtrack, from the quirky habits to the unique sensibilities, this is indie to a T. But not the original independent of the 70's, the now-mainstream, now-conventional independent of contemporary cinema. Being what it is, it's not always original. In fact, most of the filmmaking techniques are repackagings of those found in Annie Hall (which is incidentally my favorite romantic comedy of all time). But what it copies, it copies well. It is polished and pristine. And most importantly, it works. I've seen characters break into song and dance before, I've seen unorthodox or broken timelines before, and I've seen brilliant use of split-screen before, but it all comes together here to create a compelling, fulfilling, emotional whole.

The story is a typical boy-meets-girl tale, but the narrator warns us that it is not a love story. And he's right. To a romantic, every girl you fall for is the love of your life. And since the movie is told from the guy's point of view, it seems like she really is "the one." And in that tender moment where he finally realizes that she isn't right for him, where he accurately pinpoints her role in his life, the movie peaks. You get that warm, fuzzy feeling in the film's bittersweet finale that every romance aspires to. You cherish the film, realizing that all the special effect gimmicks, all the "experimental" styles, all the editing, the cinematography, the acting, the writing--all that was there for the sole purpose of sending your heart aflutter. And like I said, it works. If you liked Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or Garden State, don't hesitate to watch this movie. You will fall in love with it.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1022603/