182: Oldboy

Oldboy (R) - 2003 - Runtime: 120 minutes
Starring: Min-sik Choi, Ji-tae Yu, Hye-jeong Kang
Director: Chan-wook Park

Holy cow this film is awesome! It was simply, breathtaking and jaw-dropping! And any other cliche! Seriously, I had heard nothing but good things about this movie and of course, so many people had recommended it to me that I was more than hesitant to pick it up. But the hype I heard was well deserved. This movie is simply astonishing and packs a whollop. It's both visually arresting and emotionally draining, if a movie can be that.

Dae-su Oh is a simple business man, who after a night out drinking, finds himself kidnapped and put in a room where he is constantly alone. After fifteen years of this cruel imprisonment, he's released out onto the city streets and eventually has to track down his captor and find out exactly why he was imprisoned. Although the mystery seems simple and you just want to find out what the hell happened, the movie is much more complex than that as it starts to delve into each character's past. I won't reveal too much, but the ending has such a resonance and it sucker punched me, because I wasn't expecting it. The movie deals with a lot of violence and this sets up some very cool action sequences, specifically the Double Dragon-esque (non-video game nerds can ignore the reference) one-shot take of Dae-su battling a seemingly infinite gang of thugs. It's so well done and the choreography is perfect. But not only the action and violence are great - there is meaning behind those scenes. And that's what I love about this movie - there's so many layers involved within the characters and stories and what revenge looks like.

I loved this movie and would not hesitate to watch it over and over again. It's that good! Apparently this is the second movie of a trilogy based on some graphic novels. I desperately want to watch the other two - because this is one of the best foreign movies, let alone action movies I've seen!

Rating: Own It!

182: Blow-Up

Blow-Up (R) - 1966 - Runtime: 111 minutes
Starring: Vanessa Redgrave, David Hemmings
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni

This is considered one of my foreign movies, even though it's an English (pretty much) film. It's Antonioni's first English-language film, but I guess it's considered very much an Italian film. It's considered to be a classic foreign film and I was definitely intrigued by the premise, but I will say this movie sucked big time. I absolutely wish I had those two hours back!

The premise is this: Thomas, a high-fashion photographer in the swingin' sixties, is looking for inspiration and decides to go out to the park and take some pictures. It soon becomes apparent that he's actually photographed a murder. Doesn't that sound really awesome? Yeah, except the dude doesn't actually find out about the pictures until about an hour and half into the goddamn movie! Most of the beginning is filled with his life as a photographer - BORING! I don't care about that stuff - get me to the mystery and intrigue. I suppose there's some great metaphor about high fashion and the sixties, but it's too lost on me because it was dull. I can't believe people love this movie - it ends on sour note and doesn't really solve anything. It's completely pointless! You don't know anything more about the murder than he finds the body and Vanessa Redgrave will smoke pot and get topless for the pictures of the crime.

Stay away from this movie - it's pretty much sums up what I hate about artsy fartsy movies, especially from the sixties and seventies. It's pretentious and slow and doesn't have any sense of where it's going.

Rating: Avoid Like the Plague!

182: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (R) - 2009 - Runtime: 152 minutes
Starring: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace
Director: Niels Arden Opley

I had decided to finally test the hype and put a request at my local library for the book The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I've heard nothing but great things and it took about a month before I actually got my hands on it. And once I had the time - I tore through the book in less than a week. It's so good - every bit of hype it has it well deserved. And it's no surprise they made a movie (albeit it is Swedish, duh, but an American remake is coming!) because the story lends itself so well to a film treatment. Well, that's both a blessing and a curse - the movie could never live up to the awesomeness of the book, but it's such a great story and the plot is perfect for a crime mystery movie. The movie is genuinely good, but there are some things lacking for those who've read the book.

The plot is somewhat complex, but the movie focuses mainly on the main mystery: Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, ruthless computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. (the imdb plot was too perfect not to cut and paste!) Needless to say, the movie will have you on the edge of your seat if you haven't read the story. It's a long movie, but it's actually paced really nicely - there's enough suspense and drama to keep you going and the two main characters work well together. I found the actual actors to be really good - they play their parts to perfection, although I can understand people's complaint with Rapace, but that's due more to the complexity of the character itself than her acting. It's a thoroughly riveting film and it takes you along for the ride.

As for the flaws? Well, if you read the book, you'll know that there is a lot more going on than just the main murder mystery. There's all sorts of side plots that delve deeper into the characters and to be quite honest, these are just as good as the actual main mystery. And the movie barely touches on these aspects, but it's a movie. And that's my main complaint - this really should have been a miniseries, like on HBO. It would have been great to watch like a 6- or 8-hour treatment of the book - I would have really enjoyed it. Apparently, there is a Swedish television series about the books, but I can't find any information except for this imdb page.

Still, it's a great movie and worth watching! It's coming out this Tuesday, so check it out!

Rating: Rent It!

182: The Lives of Others

The Lives of Others (R) - 2006 - Runtime: 137 minutes
Starring: Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch, Martina Gedeck
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck


I had always wanted to see this movie, but never found the time to check it out when it finally came out on DVD. The plot intrigued me and I'm always up for some Cold War-themed suspense movies. Luckily, this movie is as good as everyone says - the cast is perfect and the plot is full of suspense and romance. It's just a great movie that deserves more than one viewing.


The setting is 1984, East Berlin. An agent of the secret police, Wiesler, has been ordered to spy on Georg Dreyman, a playwright who is in full support of the communist state. But Wiesler discovers that his orders are not necessarily for security reasons and his bosses are abusing their power. It's a tangled web of power and greed and I got completely lost in it. The movie focuses on Wiesler's surveillance and it is through his perspective that the camera is focused, but we also get to see Dreyman's personal life and what he has lost in spite of his great success. Needless to say, there's a build up to the final chapter of the movie where Wiesler has to decide what to do - to follow orders or defy them in order to help a traitor to the state.


The acting, as I've said, is perfect! Ulrich Muhe plays his part wonderfully and it's too bad he passed away shortly after this movie because he is such a strong actor. I loved the rest of the cast, too and they play their parts so genuine. You connect with these people and their tragic lives. I've always found struggles of this nature (censorship, falsely accused, etc.) to be such a great source of suspense and lots of drama. To see how their lives unfold under such enormous pressure, it's astounding. And although I don't think the movie is based on any particular event, it's safe to assume that stuff like this happened all the time during the Cold War.  It's a movie that I think will live on long after the Cold War is but a distant memory (it almost is - I certainly don't remember it, much less anyone thirty or under) but the fear of global terror is still very much real.


I highly recommend this one. Don't let the foreign label persuade you, it's a great story and even though it's about two and a half hours long, it flew by because of the performances and the pacing of the wonderfully plotted film!


Rating: Own It!

182: City of God

City of God (R) - 2002 - Runtime: 130 minutes
Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues, Douglas Silva, Leandro Firmino, Phellipe Haagensen
Director: Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund

I've always been told this was a great movie and I can't understand why I never picked this one up because not only is it a great movie, but it's one of the best foreign movies I've ever seen. In fact, I'd compare it closely to The Godfather. And while I like The Godfather, I love City of God. It's just such a good rags-to-riches tale about life in the street in South America and the cast of characters is awesome.

The story follows Buscapé, a teen living in the ghetto of Rio de Janeiro who aspires to be a great photographer. His life intersects with several others, pretty much all gang members who rise and fall over and over again. It's such a big tale and the cast is so large that it's hard to go into details about everything. Suffice to say, it's epic but has enough heart and character to make you feel like you're a part of Buscapé's life. He does narrate most of the movie and it works well because without it, you would get lost. But I never found myself checking Wikipedia to find out information about the story - it flows really well and even though it's over two hours, I was enthralled during the whole movie. I was captivated by the poverty that Buscapé came from and how he managed to pull himself out of the ghetto.

Like I said earlier, it's a great tale and the acting is phenomenal for pretty much a cast of new actors. Even the kid actors are great at portraying street kids who have no sense as to what's right and wrong. Like all good epic movies of the sort, there's some tragic moments that will make you tear up, while the triumphant scenes are just as moving. To say I loved this movie is an understatement. I'd like to see what the sequel has in store for these characters, but I'm sure it won't top this one, because what can?

Rating: Own It!

182: The Bicycle Thief

The Bicycle Thief (PG) - 1948 - 93 minutes
Starring: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola
Director: Vittorio De Sica

The Bicycle Thief is considered one of the greatest movies of all time. I don't think I could argue with that - but I don't necessarily agree with it either. It's a great movie, no doubt, but I feel like its reputation precedes it with modern critics more than the actual movie. And although the movie sounds quite dull, I was caught up in the whole story and enjoyed every minute.

Antonio Ricci is struggling to find a job in a post-WWII Italy. He finally gets some luck in finding a job putting up movie posters, but only if he has a bike. Unfortunately, he just sold his bike to a pawn shop and has to trade his family's bed sheets in order to get it back. Of course, early on in the job, some man snatches his bike up and the movie follows Antonio and his son, Bruno around Italy, trying to find their bike. It's quite a depressing tale - but the images and scenes evoked throughout are powerful and they never really let go. And although the movie seems to be nothing but a series of let downs, there's still some hope, if small at all. Antonio still has his family and friends and him and his son do enjoy a nice meal. It's these quiet moments that I saw this small bit of hope and I thought to myself, I really do feel for these characters. At that point I realized how much this movie got to me.

I can understand why some would call this movie the greatest - its themes of struggling to get by and loneliness in the city are still relevant today as they were in a post-war Italy. No doubt it's a wonderful movie that would make even the toughest tear up just a little, it still isn't my personal favorite - I still like to laugh and be entertained, and The Bicycle Thief is more of a quiet, slow movie that makes you sit and contemplate after the final credit has rolled through.

Rating: Rent It!

182: Flame & Citron

Flame and Citron (R) - 2009 - Runtime: 130 minutes
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Thure Lindhardt, Stine Stengade
Director: Ole Christian Madsen

I was really intrigued by this movie when I saw the trailer for it before some other DVD that I rented a while back. I'm always up for a World War II-themed movie and this Denmark import had enough pizazz in its trailer to make me really want to see it. And I'm certainly glad I did, although at times it was hard to get through.

I really like movies that take actual events and people and either fictionalize the story or at least tell the true story in a unique way (It's the same way with books - I've become really interested in this sort of fiction, Drood being my latest obsession). The movie tells about the most famous Danish resistance fighters during WWII and the lives they led. They're both good at what they do - dispatching Gestapo members and taking out the Nazi regime that occupied their country. Against this backdrop, they get involved in a series of targets that leads both of them to question who's really the enemy and who they can really trust. It's a good tale to tell - it's not only a war film, but a good noir film with enough twists to keep you guessing as to what will happen next.

For the most part I really enjoyed the movie. Mads Mikkelsen, best known for his role as Le Chiffre in Casino Royale, does a fantastic job of portraying a hero that struggles with his own inner demons and being a good husband and father. The other role, Flame, is played by Thure Lindhardt (who had a small role in Angels & Demons) who does a pretty good job of being a cold-blooded killer when he needs to be. But even though I enjoyed most of the movie, there were times where I struggled because I just wanted it to get on with the plot. It isn't exactly well-paced and at times it does seem sluggish. But it's not enough for it to detract from a pleasurable experience.

If you haven't got your fill of WWII movies yet, this one is a pretty decent one - it's got some action and the noir elements are a nice touch. It's well acted and I'd recommend renting it, so check it out!

Rating: Rent It!

182: Rudo Y Cursi

Rudo Y Cursi (R) - 2009 - Runtime: 103 minutes
Starring: Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna
Director: Carlos Cuarón

Sometimes trailers can push me over the fence into seeing a movie. Rudo Y Cursi is one of those. This trailer was awesome. The cover of "I Want You to Want Me" by Los Odios is perfect; what a cover should be.

It doesn't hurt that the movie has been generally well received, either. I haven't seen Y Tu Mamá También (it's on my list!) and I guess this movie reunites Luna and Bernal. And it's a pretty fantastic reunion. I don't like soccer... excuse me, football... so I was skeptical at how much I would really like this movie. I connected with this movie because of the unique rivalry between these two siblings.

Tato (Cursi, meaning corny) and Beto (Rudo, meaning rough) are two brothers who dream of better lives. As luck would have it, they come upon a soccer agent who sees potential in both of them, but can only take one under his wing. Cursi makes the cut and leaves his brother to the shanty town they grew up in. Eventually Rudo gets his break and they both become stars - Rudo the ultimate goalie and Cursi, the tenacious striker. They both rise quickly to super stardom and fall quite harshly.

It's a tale as old as time, but somehow, it manages to be engaging and fresh. Both brothers take completely different, yet very similar paths to stardom and crash and burn quite stupendously. Cursi becomes obsessed with his shallow, TV star girlfriend and tries to become a singing sensation even though he's not that good and Rudo ends up addicted to gambling and cocaine. There are some genuinely funny moments in this movie - and some compelling dramatic ones, too. Some moments you want to wring their necks and other times you want to high five them. The movie runs the whole gamut of emotions and does it perfectly. It's a bit long, but nevertheless compelling and I wanted to know what was going to happen to these brothers.

It all ends in a climactic showdown when the two brothers meet to play against each other and lives are on the line quite literally. It's a fun, quirky little movie that's narrated by their agent, who is just as messed up as them in his own ways. He often uses soccer as a metaphor for life and what's happening to the brothers and it sounds corny (another pun!), but it's all part of the feel of the movie.

If you're up for a foreign movie, love soccer or can go for something a little quirky, Rudo y Cursi is the right fit - it really is full of some heartfelt moments and laughs. Good stuff.

Rating: Rent It!