“The Woman in Black” is an atmospheric thriller that’s not without its fair share of flaws but in comparison with Hollywood’s affinity for pointless slasher films, it is certainly worth taking a look at.

Marked as Daniel Radcliffe’s first post-Harry Potter film, it may be a little strange to get used to seeing him as a widowed father, but Radcliffe settles into the role of Arthur Kipps with calm resolve. As an attorney, Kipps is sent to an incredibly isolated Yorkshire village in order to deal with paperwork left in the Victorian manor of the deceased owner. Having to leave his young son behind with the nanny, Kipps is thrust into a small town filled with people in a constant state of fear and grief.

Without giving too much away, the town is plagued by an evil ghost who is causing the deaths of children. The opening scene, in fact, is perhaps one of the strongest scenes in the film, featuring three little girls having a tea party with their dolls. The little girls are eerily calm as they, as if being given silent instructions, slowly rise from the floor and trample their dolls as they peacefully walk towards their inevitable deaths.

Kipps, already deep in grief from losing his wife, never seems too phased by anything that happens in the film. Even in the most frightening of moments, Kipps never really appears to be too shaken, almost as if a part of him is welcoming the danger with open arms. He is effortlessly stoic as he juggles his living life with that of the dead. His stoicism is sometimes to the film’s detriment because there is a point in the film where you have to wonder if he’ll ever truly react to the events surrounding him. Even when he tries to actively participate in resolving the evil spirit’s troubles, he still does so as if half asleep and uncaring.

Radcliffe is given some excellent support by Ciaran Hinds and Janet McTeer, playing a couple who have been deeply affected by the ghost’s actions. The husband hides in skepticism as a way to try and protect himself and his wife from reality, while they both carry a burdensome secret. The tense scenes within their home are the only other scenes that are able to compete with the compelling nature of the abandoned manor.

While “The Woman in Black” hits rocky patches, mainly with the weak script and character development, visually it is starkly impressive and compelling. The ambiance of the dark manor is beautiful and terrifying. It stands on a small bit of land that is surrounded by marshes, becoming an isolated island when the tide comes in and submerges the long, winding drive that leads to it. In its darkened corners and cobwebbed corridors, the audience never gets a chance to feel comfortable within its walls, always keeping a watchful eye on the shadows. While “The Woman in Black” certainly makes use of the usual cheap scares that make you jump in your seat, almost to the point of annoyance, it thankfully never loses its hauntingly hypnotic atmosphere that sets it apart from other films of its type.

Check out the eerie trailer:

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Man on a Ledge” is about an ex-cop, Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington), who claims he was falsely accused of a crime he didn’t commit.

After the former cop/convict pulls off a brilliant escape from his handlers, he winds up on a 200 foot ledge of his hotel room. When negotiators rush to the scene his first request is to have police negotiator Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) on the scene. Mercer is a tough no-nonsense cop who is haunted by actions in the past that are unknown at first.

The film becomes more intense as the focus shifts from Nick to his brother Joey Cassidy (Jamie Bell) and Joey’s girlfriend Angie  as the couple try to break into the vault that belongs to corrupt real-estate owner David Englander (Ed Harris).

“Man on a Ledge” pulled it off really well as a suspense thriller. While certain parts of the film quickly become obvious, the film still leaves the audience in anticipation of each new twist in the story. Also, let’s not forget the film’s breathtaking views of the Manhattan city. Cassidy’s vantage point of looking down on the city’s streets gives the audience a feeling of dizziness and vertigo.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ed Harris played his dark and brutal character fantastically and really showed how cynical he can be. Sam Worthington did a fantastic performance in his role of Nick Cassidy. He gave the audience a real in-depth view in to the character. Elizabeth Banks also did a wonderful job as Cassidy’s only ally, Lydia Mercer. The actress is able to show her audience the real depth of the woman’s character as they see a person who is willing to go to whatever lengths necessary to save Cassidy and redeem herself.

jamie and gisela did a great job as well in their roles throughout the film. The antics and bantering between the two and their sexual appeal towards each other lightens the film’s mood and adds comedy to the plot. These supporting characters make the film easily enjoyable to watch and still leave the audience in suspense.

The audience is relentlessly left to wonder what great lengths is the protagonist willing to go to prove his innocence. Will he be forced to jump or not? “Man on a Ledge” is certainly one film worth seeing.

Photos courtesy of Abutorsam007, gdcgraphics, and Georges Biard via WikiCommons.

Video courtesy of VisoTrailers via Youtube.

Popular comedic actress and writer Tina Fey seems to be capable of anything, as she can now add “author” to her long list of accomplishments.

Fey is sarcastic and self-deprecating as she tells her life story, but in such a way that shows she truly is a confident woman unafraid to poke fun at herself. Willing to discuss everything from acne to bowel movements, Fey manages to tell the reader about her life’s trials and tribulations while seeming normal. Models and actresses who claim to lead normal lifestyles (despite extravagant vacation time and ultra-healthy-vegan-gluten-free-no-fat-no-sugar-no-alcohol diets) are laughable in comparison to Fey’s down to earth antidotes about diaper changing and her fear of the nanny.

Fey has no problem discussing her love for fast food or acknowledging that , unlike stars who jet off to tropical islands or ski resorts for the holidays, her Christmas is spent driving long distances through the snow to visit her in-laws.

The book does not move in a precise chronological order, but the organization keeps it from seeming too much like a long-winded narrative. Fey takes breaks amidst the longer chapters by allowing herself tangents and variety in topic. Right after she discusses her honeymoon, the reader might find a short chapter in list form about an entirely different subject, such as all of the things she remembers about at one time being too skinny (eating disgusting health foods) and at another time a little too heavy (burning her ample stomach while ironing).

Fey keeps it lighthearted, even when addressing darker topics like the scar on her face. We learn about her Republican parents (who were not exactly pleased with her portrayal of 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on SNL), her job at a Chicago YMCA as she struggled to break into the improv world, her thoughts on airbrushing magazine photos, and countless other tidbits about the comedian. Fey even dedicates a chapter to responding to some of her hate mail, which she does in a clever, wry manner.

Whether or not a fan of Fey’s past work, the book is a fantastic weekend read that entertains while also letting the reader into her world. In one chapter, she realizes that although she keeps looking forward to a time in which she will be able to be a stay-at-home mom for her daughter, her schedule will never allow for it. There is no work-free future for her, and this realization leads to a crying fit in her office. Though there are moments like this scattered around the book to let the reader know that she’s human, Fey never lets them dominate and swings back with humor so as not to let the reader forget that she is still one of the funniest women in television.

Whether drowning in textbooks or simply too busy to read much, Bossypants is a quick read anyone can find time to fit in. Laughter is good for everyone, so don’t hesitate to pick up a copy as soon as possible!

Photo by ametern via Flickr.

Gina Carano may be more of a female Jason Bourne than James Bond, but this is not a ‘Bourne’ movie.  It doesn’t have the fast-paced and grittiness.  I love the ‘Bourne’ series, whereas “Haywire,” I like it enough.

Stephen Soderberg assembled a team of well-known actors with starpower (Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum) surrounding Carano, a newcomer to acting and a martial arts fighter (Muay Thai) in real life.  Carano is ‘Mallory,’ a former Marine, black ops private contractor, whose company is hired by the U.S. government to undertake off-the-grid missions around the world.

After a mission in Barcelona rescuing a Chinese journalist, Mallory finds herself set up by her former employer as a spy gone rogue and pursued from all angles.  The mystery here is that it’s a successful job.  The pursuits take the team to Dublin, Washington DC, San Diego, New Mexico and Old Mexico.

Carano looks natural for a first-timer and this is the ideal vehicle for her.  Her scenes do not require in-depth acting and she’s at her best during the physical ones.  She brings certain credibility to the fighting scenes.  Her running, leaping, kicking, punching, choking, shooting look real.  She goes toe-to-toe with the guys and really does look like she’s capable of doing these things.  The fact that she also falls and doesn’t spring back up adds a sense of realism.  No special effects, just old-fashioned, hard and brutal hand-to-hand combat shot in close range.  Strong, sexy, street-smart, Carano has the realistic build and the look of a bona fide action star.

Whether or not you’d enjoy “Haywire” would depend on your expectations.  The layered conspiracy, betrayal and double-crossing are revealed in the end.  But it feels longer to get to this point than it should.  Instead of a speedy action movie, it’s slow and steady with stylistic direction, and sometimes silent with the soundtrack blaring in the background.  The latter reminds me with a killer hit last year, “Hanna,” although “Hanna” has a much cooler soundtrack.

If you’re expecting a ‘fast and furious’ action flick, you won’t find it here.  If you’re expecting a high-tech super-spy movie, you won’t find it here either.  If you’re familiar with Soderberg’s style and allow your patience to be tested, there’s a payoff in the end.  While there’s a pre-ending scene that seems to come out of nowhere (a connecting scene or two might have ended up on the cutting floor), it fades to black with a great ‘gotcha’ scene.

Copyright (c) 2012. Nathalia Aryani.

Nathalia Aryani is a business manager, foreign language translator, lifestyle/travel writer and film columnist. She can be reached at indotransserv@gmail.com. Nathalia owns a movies blog, The MovieMaven (http://themoviemaven.posterous.com).  Twitter: http://twitter.com/the_moviemaven

“My Week with Marilyn”

Michelle Williams (“Shutter Island“) is ravishing as Marilyn Monroe and masters her every mannerism.  The look, the walk, the pose, the voice.  She captures the essence of the biggest star in the world of her era, seductive and disarming, adored by millions, at the same time, a troubled, lost little girl with the look of innocence.  Williams iridescently magnetizes every frame.

Kenneth Branagh, as Sir Laurence Olivier and Monroe’s frequent sparring partner, be it acting or directing, is a force here.  This is a slice of Monroe’s life, taken from the memoir of Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), then a young smitten gopher who developed a platonic relationship with her during the production of “The Prince and the Showgirl” in London.  Combined with stirring music and luminous cinematography, “My Week with Marilyn” is a marvelous picture.

“The Iron Lady”

A delicately human story about Margaret Thatcher.  “The Iron Lady” is not so much about a history lesson, but the very personal side of the longest-serving prime minister of Britain.

It shows Thatcher in her twilight years, in the early stages of dementia, clearly missing her dearly departed husband, Denis (Jim Broadbent).  In and out of lucidity, she keeps everything at home exactly the same and continually talks to him as if he were alive.  It’s simultaneously sentimental and humorous.

Flashes of her primetime years and younger family life unfold through flashbacks.  Inspiring sound bites about having a life that matters, with principles and public service, and making a difference.

The film is sharply photographed with contrasting colors and space, producing a number of memorable shots.  And kudos to hair and makeup, amazingly aids Meryl Streep’s (“Julie & Julia,” “The Devil Wears Prada“) transformation into Thatcher.

The story would have worked better had it not placed much emphasis on her life after Downing Street. But Streep, a prominent presence throughout, truly carries the film.  A poignantly supreme performance!

Copyright (c) 2012. Nathalia Aryani.

Nathalia Aryani is a business manager, foreign language translator, lifestyle/travel writer and film columnist. She can be reached at indotransserv@gmail.com. Nathalia owns a movies blog, The MovieMaven (http://themoviemaven.posterous.com).  Twitter: http://twitter.com/the_moviemaven

***

It’s award season!  The Golden Globes nominations are out and the Academy Awards are soon to follow.

In case you missed a number of the nominated films during the holiday season, there’s still time to catch up.  Except for the last one below, these films are still playing at the theaters in the greater San Diego area at the time of this writing.  Just don’t wait too long!

Here’s a half dozen of highlights:

“Midnight in Paris”
Woody Allen is a mixed bag.  “Match Point” was a high note and “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” enjoyable, but “Cassandra’s Dream” not nearly as much.  “Midnight in Paris” is lovely, whimsical and kinda magical.  Meeting and chatting up Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Pablo Piccaso, Salvador Dali must be quite a trip.  If you’re a literature major, you may be enamored with it and totally gets the humor.  But even if you aren’t, it’s a must-watch for those into history, arts, culture… or anything French.

“J. Edgar”
Should have been a lot better.  “J. Edgar” is a close-up look at one of the most powerful, controversial figures in the 20th century and most enduring face of the FBI; it should have been a lot better.  Ahead of his time, it’s interesting to see the events or incidents leading up to the creation of now widely known laws, requirements or procedures.  Long, labored and suffering from a bad script and direction, nonetheless, the devoted relationships between Edgar and his domineering mother, lifelong work (and presumably life) partner and loyal-to-a-fault private secretary are fascinating and touching.  Acting-wise, applauded (although Leo DiCaprio‘s accent here is hard to get used to) for a multi-faceted, closely guarded and image-obsessed character, as well as Armie Hammer,  in a main supporting role.

“Hugo”
The most stunning 3-D drama ever filmed.  From the mesmerizing opening scene of a snowy France in 1930s, it zooms into the rows of building windows, passing through  people on the platform of a train station, capturing the vibrancy of a marketplace with bustling cafe and shops, jazz music and colorful flowers.  The sweeping view of wintry Paris from the clock tower is truly wondrous.  One caveat – don’t expect an action-packed adventure or epic fantasy.  It’s an imaginative fable, but it’s a full-length drama, told from the eyes of a lonely orphan facing the harsh reality to survive and trying to piece together clues left by the untimely death of his father.  Surprisingly, it’s a dual-story, interconnected to a piece of cinematic history.  “Hugo” is a love note to cinema.

“The Descendants”
Funny, sad, quirky, heartfelt.  The Hawaiian setting adds a unique dimension and is a character on its own.  George Clooney (“The Ides of March,” “Up in the Air“) sheds his ‘movie-star’ persona and simply becomes a family man, clearly in over his head.  A middle-aged, workaholic lawyer who’s just trying to keep his head above water with newfound life.  Finding out about his comatose wife’s affair, handling a foul-mouthed, rebellious teenage daughter and a handful younger one, making the decision about the fate of a land passed down from his royal ancestors and managing quibbles among his extended family.  The father-daughter relationships dynamic is the heart of the film.  Clooney does his best work here,  expertly conveying an array of conflicting emotions through a split-second of facial expression or body movement.  Shock, disbelief, heartbreak, anguished, anger, clueless, weariness, sorrow, joy, love, grace, peace.  “The Descendants” is sprinkled with contemporary teen speak, sharp jabs and perfectly timed humor.  An incredibly affective family-centric dramedy, it leaves an island of impressions.  Check out the full review here.

“The Ides of March”
Razor-sharp with superb script, smart direction and compelling acting by the whole ensemble.  The astuteness is shades of 2010′s “The Social Network.”  The story is a brilliant human chess game.  Play or get played.  If you don’t make a move or respond accordingly, you’ll be taken out of the game.  Intense moments, even during quieter, unseen scenes would feel as if gunfire would break out any minute.  It feels like blood has been shed, even without a single weapon is drawn or shot fired.  It’s that good.  We’d like to believe that true democracy is alive and well and that the best person wins.  While “The Ides of March” is certainly a work of fiction, the story depicted may be as realistic as it can get to our political process.  Be a player or a pawn; it’s politics as usual.  Check out the full review here.

“Drive”
It’s a story about someone who’s always in the driver’s seat, but goes overdrive to protect the people he cares about.  ‘Driver’ is a man of intense actions with a few words.  Ryan Gosling (“The Ides of March“) owns every screen he’s in and conveys much through a glance, stare, smile, hand or touch.  Calm and controlled, but primal and deliberate.  As a whole, the film seems pointless and incredulous.  Yet it’s thoroughly absorbing and easy to suspend disbelief because of its noir style and trance-like atmosphere, underscored by its prevailing pulsing score, and maudlin in some.  “Drive” is not for everyone.  But this is one that will make a lasting imprint.  Check out the full review here.

The 2012 Golden Globes airs on January 15 and Academy Awards on February 26, 2012.  You can follow the official websites for the road to the Golden Globes here and the Oscars here.

Copyright (c) 2012. Nathalia Aryani.

Nathalia Aryani is a business manager, foreign language translator, lifestyle/travel writer and film columnist. She can be reached at indotransserv@gmail.com. Nathalia owns a movies blog, The MovieMaven (http://themoviemaven.posterous.com).  Twitter: http://twitter.com/the_moviemaven

Matt King is a middle-aged, workaholic lawyer just trying to keep his head above water with his newfound life challenges.  Sitting at his comatose wife’s bedside, Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie), after her boating accident, finding out about her affair, being left to handle and raise a handful young daughter, Scottie (Amara Miller) and a foul-mouthed, rebellious teenage daughter, Alexandra (Shailene Woodley), tagged along by her foot in mouth-prone boyfriend (Nick Krause).

On the extended family side, he’s also dealing with a disapproving father-in-law and mother-in-law suffering from Alzheimer, bearing the responsibility of making an overarching decision about the fate of the land passed down from his royal ancestors, and managing diverging interests and quibbles among his cousins.

Clooney does his best work here, expertly conveying an array of conflicting emotions through a split-second of facial expression or body movement.  Shock, disbelief, heartbreak, anguished, anger, clueless, weariness, sorrow, joy, love, grace, peace.  You’d experience his emotions and really feel for him.

The father-daughter relationships dynamic, particularly with his older daughter, is the heart of the film.  Woodley is solidly believable; she could easily pass as Clooney’s daughter in real life.  She hits the right notes whether she’s displaying false nonchalance or outward hostility, containing or expressing her feelings of hurt, anger, frustration, loss, grief over finding out about her mother’s affair and being disconnected from her father, all the while supporting her bertrayed father in tracking down her mother’s lover (Matthew Lillard), and feeling partially responsible for shielding her younger sister from reality.

“The Descendants” is a heartfelt road trip down the family lane, sprinkled with contemporary teen speak, sharp jabs and perfectly timed humor amidst tragedy.  This is not a story with monumental events or milestones.  But it’s genuinely absorbing.  Funny, sad, quirky.  The Hawaiian setting adds a unique dimension and is a character on its own.

“The Descendants” is an incredibly affective family-centric dramedy, leaving an island of impressions.

Copyright (c) 2012. Nathalia Aryani.

Nathalia Aryani is a business manager, foreign language translator, lifestyle/travel writer and film columnist. She can be reached at indotransserv@gmail.com. Nathalia owns a movies blog, The MovieMaven (http://themoviemaven.posterous.com).  Twitter: http://twitter.com/the_moviemaven

Tom Cruise reprises his role as Ethan Hunt in the fourth installment of the “Mission Impossible” series.  J.J. Abrams (“Super 8,” “Alias”) continues on as producer and Brad Bird onboard as director.

I loved Bird’s award-winning animations “The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille,” but thought the choice to put him in the director’s seat for a blockbuster live action was a curious one.  Turns out he manages to pair the word “mission” with “accomplished” with MI:4, transitioning successfully from pixels to people.

In MI:4 the IMF team globe-trots to Budapest, Moscow, Dubai and Mumbai.  A botched mission and the death of an IMF agent in Budapest leads to Moscow.  Since the bombing of the Kremlin, however, as relayed by the Secretary of Defense (Tom Wilkinson), the President has initiated ‘Ghost Protocol’ procedure, where the IMF team (Benji Dunn, Simon Pegg; Jane Carter, Paula Patton; William Brandt, Jeremy Renner) is falsely implicated in the attack and disavowed.

Agent Dunn, the tech wizard, has passed his field test and is finally going on field assignments.  His interactions with the team provides a comic relief during tense situations.  Agent Carter fills the role of a strong, beautiful, fierce agent.  Agent Brandt, with a secret past linked to Ethan, was initially the wild card, but eventually becomes an integral part of the team.

Ethan is determined to clear the team’s name.  The team’s mission is now to put a stop to an exchange of nuclear launch codes between the real terrorist, Kurt Hendriks (Michael Nyqvist), and Sabine Moreau (Lea Seydoux) in Dubai, and for Kurt to get to the satellite in Mumbai and incite a nuclear war.  Having faced betrayals in the past, Ethan is forced to trust and rely on his team without the backup and support of IMF.  The team works well together and the wisecrack moments are enjoyable.  As a team leader, Ethan is visibly more human here.  Less precise, riddled with doubts and missteps.

Unprepared and operating in the dark, at times, it doesn’t feel like a “Mission Impossible” movie. There’s lack of a domineering villain, although the stakes are high.  But the MI hallmarks are there.  Impossible missions.  High-tech gadgetry.  Larger than life actions.  MI:4 is glossily made and smoothly shot with wide angle views of exotic locales and set pieces.

A clever trick involving camouflage via a projector brings out chuckles.  The sandstorm adds a layer of challenge to the chase scenes.  But the highlight is definitely the spectacular skyscraper scaling.  Not just any skyscraper; Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.  Even more mind-blowing knowing that Cruise himself performed the death-defying stunt himself.  Renner (“The Town“ ”The Hurt Locker”) is certainly a very capable actor, but I hope Cruise remains a little longer on the franchise.  15 years after the first film, he still embodies the super-spy he’s famously known for, with his daredevil and athletic prowess.  The action sequences are episodic, but it’s paced just right that you’re looking forward to what’s coming up next.

Big.  Bold.  Breathtaking.  I hope the team chooses to accept another mission.

Copyright (c) 2011. Nathalia Aryani.

Nathalia Aryani is a business manager, foreign language translator, lifestyle/travel writer and film columnist. She can be reached at indotransserv@gmail.com. Nathalia owns a movies blog, The MovieMaven (http://themoviemaven.posterous.com).  Twitter: http://twitter.com/the_moviemaven

Click here to view the embedded video.

“The Muppets”

Nov. 23
PG
Family/Musical/Comedy
Stars: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones.
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 97% Fresh

“The Muppets” brings the iconic characters to a whole new generation of children, making it the perfect film for longtime fans and newcomers to enjoy together. The film introduces a brand new Muppet named Walter, the biggest Muppet fan in the world, and his brother Gary (a very happy Jason Segel). Gary and his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) take Walter with them to Los Angeles to tour the Muppet Studios, where Walter discovers a diabolical plot orchestrated by oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), who plans on destroying the Muppet Theater to get to the hidden oil beneath. Walter, Gary, and Mary come up with a plan to raise $10 million to save the theater, putting together The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever. In order to succeed though, the three must help Kermit the Frog reunite the Muppets, each having started a new life. Miss Piggy is living the highlife as the fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Gonzo owns a plumping company, Animal is at a celebrity anger management rehabilitation center, and Fozzie is performing with a terrible Muppets tribute band, The Moopets.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, the film features a very long list of incredible cameos, such as Zach Galifianakis, Jack Black, Dave Grohl, Kristen Schaal, and Emily Blunt. “The Muppets” also features six brand new musical numbers supervised by Bret McKenzie, of “Flight of the Conchords” fame, and three familiar Muppet classics, such as “The Muppet Show Theme” and “The Rainbow Connection.”

“Arthur Christmas”

Nov. 23
PG
Animation/Family/Comedy
Stars: James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, Michael Palin.
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 92% Fresh

“Arthur Christmas” will be sure to delight children by finally answering the question of just how Santa Claus manages to deliver all those presents in one night. Santa just so happens to have a super secret, high-tech, underground headquarters in the North Pole that helps him get his deliveries done in a timely manner but sometimes, mistakes happen. With the job of Santa being passed down from father to son, “Arthur Christmas” introduces the Santa family, a comically dysfunctional group, with the youngest son Arthur (James McAvoy) in the middle of it all. Working in the Letters Department, Arthur loves responding to all the letters children write to his father, but when a package is left undelivered, Arthur soon finds himself embarking on an exciting journey to deliver the forgotten package to the child it belongs to.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Hugo”    

Nov. 23
PG
Family/Adventure/Drama
Dir: Martin Scorsese
Stars: Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Lee, Ben Kingsley, Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer, Jude Law
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 94% Fresh

Based on Brian Selzcick’s novel “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” “Hugo” is set in the 1930s and tells the story of Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), a young orphan boy who lives in the walls of a Paris train station. Hugo spends his days maintaining the station’s clocks and working on a broken automaton that is meant to write a secret message. Once meeting a precocious girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) and a surly old man (Ben Kingsley) who runs a toy shop, Hugo finds himself in the middle of an amazing adventure that will leave you breathless. Directed by Martin Scorsese and produced by Johnny Depp, “Hugo” is a film of incredible imagination and unbelievable 3-D effects. A love letter to early cinema, the unusual film is sure to be an Oscar contender and is finally a Scorsese film parents can take their children to.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“My Week with Marilyn”

Nov. 23
R
Drama
Stars: Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Kenneth Branagh
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 83% Fresh

With so much anticipation and hype surrounding “My Week with Marilyn” it’s difficult to know whether the film will live up to the expectations. However, with the vivacious and excellent Michelle Williams playing Monroe, this film is a successful, heartbreaking look at the fragile girl beneath the starlet’s exterior. Based on Colin Clark’s books “The Prince, The Showgirl and Me” and “My Week with Marilyn,” the film depicts Clark’s (played by Eddie Redmayne) brief friendship with Monroe in the summer of 1956 while working as the third assisting director on “The Prince and the Showgirl,” starring Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) and Monroe. Even though Monroe is on honeymoon with her husband Arthur Miller (Dougray Scott), she develops a close relationship with Clark, finding herself able to relax and escape the pressures of filming while in his presence. The film hinges entirely on Williams’ performance and anyone doubting her ability to play Monroe will be pleasantly surprised when they see Monroe’s spirit captured so seamlessly and beautifully onscreen.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“A Dangerous Method”

Nov. 23
R
Drama/Thriller
Dir: David Cronenberg
Stars: Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley, Vincent Cassel
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 79% Fresh

The third collaboration between director David Cronenberg and actor Viggo Mortensen (the two previous films being “A History of Violence” and “Eastern Promises”), “A Dangerous Method” takes place on the eve of WWI and follows the friendship between the young psychiatrist Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and the man he looks up to, Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen). Their relationship is soon sent into turmoil when the mentally unstable, but beautiful, Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley) comes between them.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Shame”

Dec. 2
NC-17
Drama
Dir: Steve McQueen
Stars: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 78% Fresh

“Shame” is not a movie one should take lightly as it is incredibly intense, depicting scenes of sexual degradation and self-loathing. Michael Fassbender is brilliant as Brandon, a man living and working in New York, and who is completely incapable of controlling his sexual addiction. He moves through life in a haze of meaningless encounters, dodging phone calls from his sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan), and battling with the self-loathing that is evident on his face at every beat. When Sissy shows up at his apartment unannounced and with nowhere else to go, Brandon’s life begins to rapidly spiral out of control, forcing him to face the reality of his situation.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

Dec. 9
R
Thriller
Dir: Tomas Alfredson
Stars: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 97% Fresh

Directed by Tomas Alfredson (“Let the Right One In”) and adapted from John le Carré’s novel (which was also adapted in the 1979 miniseries of the same name), “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” is set in the early 1970s during the Cold War. After a mission in Budapest, Hungary goes terribly wrong, Control (John Hurt), the head of British Intelligence, retires and reveals that the operation’s intent was to find a Russian mole, thought to be one of the four senior officials in the agency. George Smiley (Gary Oldman), having been earlier forced into retirement, is approached to look into a story he was told about a mole by a rogue agent, Ricky Tarr (Tom Hardy). Once Smiley takes on the job he begins to figure out who the mole is, all while piecing together just what actually happened in Budapest.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“New Years Eve”

Dec. 9
PG-13
Comedy/Romance
Dir: Gary Marshall
Stars: Robert De Niro, Ashton Kutcher, Zac Efron, Katherine Heigl, Jessica Biel, Sofia Vergara, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lea Michele, etc.
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings:

After the success of 2010’s “Valentine’s Day,” director Gary Marshall is back with “New Year’s Eve.” Using the increasingly popular structure of several vignettes, the film takes place in New York, showing the lives of many people, some coupled and some single, all leading up to the New Year’s countdown.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked”

Dec. 16
Rating Pending
Animation/Family/Comedy
Stars: Jason Lee, Justin Long, Anna Faris, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney

The third “Alvin and the Chipmunks” film (following the 2007 film “Alvin and the Chipmunks” and the 2009 film “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel”), finds the Chipmunks and the Chipettes having a blast on a cruise ship with the Chipmunks’ dad, Dave Seville (Jason Lee). While having fun running rampant, the furry chipmunks end up getting the ship wrecked on the Isles of Scilly, ultimately causing the group to get lost and separated from Dave. While roaming the island, the chipmunk trios find a new castaway that will make island life infinitely more interesting.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”

Dec. 16
Rating Pending
Action/Adventure/Crime
Dir: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace.

Director Guy Ritchie is back with “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” a sequel to the 2009 film “Sherlock Holmes.” Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and John Watson (Jude Law), after teaming up with Holmes’ older brother Mycroft (Stephen Fry) and the intriguing Sim (Noomi Rapace), work together to outsmart Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris), Sherlock’s ultimate nemesis.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

Dec. 21
Rating Pending
Drama/Thriller
Dir: David Fincher
Stars: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Stellan Skarsgard, Christopher Plummer, Robin Wright

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” follows the story of Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) as he is hired by Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) to find the old man’s disappeared niece. Blomkvist finds help in the form of Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), a young computer hacker who is in the middle of a perilous situation herself. Together, Blomkvist and Salander uncover a terrible Vanger family history, carefully buried beneath years of lies by the people who can’t have the truth be found.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Possibly one of the most anticipated films of the year, because this adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s novel follows so closely after Sweden’s incredibly well-done adaptation in 2009, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” will have a lot of people studying it in detail, looking for faults. Most of those people will be watching to see if Rooney Mara (cast as Lisbeth Salander) will be able to pull off the role Noomi Rapace immortalized in the first film. However, if the edgy trailers and stellar cast are anything to go by, this film, directed by David Fincher (“Fight Club,” “Social Network,” and “Seven”), is going to succeed in every department.

“Mission: Impossible: – Ghost Protocol”

Dec. 21
Rating Pending
Action/Adventure
Stars: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Tom Wilkinson, Josh Holloway

The “Mission: Impossible” series is back with its fourth film, “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.” IMF Agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is undercover in Moscow when a terrorist bombing destroys the Kremlin, causing the IMF to be implicated and shut down. Hunt and his team go rogue, operating outside of government support to find out who is responsible for the Moscow bombing in order to clear IMF’s name.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“We Bought a Zoo”

Dec. 23
Rating Pending
Comedy/Drama
Dir: Cameron Crowe
tars: Matt Damon, Elle Fanning, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church

Directed by Cameron Crowe (“Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “Jerry Maguire,” and “Almost Famous”), “We Bought a Zoo” is a comedy drama that is based on the memoir by Benjamin Mee, about how the author and his family pulled their savings together to buy Dartmoor Zoological Park, a rundown zoo that already housed 200 exotic animals. In the film, Matt Damon plays Benjamin Mee, a father who moves his family to the countryside in Southern California, buying property that houses a struggling zoo with plans to renovate and re-open the zoo.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“In the Land of Blood and Honey”

Dec. 23
R
Drama/Romance/War
Dir/Wri: Angelina Jolie
Stars: Zana Marjanovic, Goran Kostic, Rade Serbedzija

The directorial debut of Angelina Jolie, “In the Land of Blood and Honey” takes place during the Bosnian War and was shot in two versions – one in English and the other in Serbo-Croation. Danijel (Goran Kostic), a soldier fighting for the Serbians, encounters Ajla (Zana Marjanovic), a Bosnian woman from his past who is captive in the camp he oversees. Their past connection is no longer reliable now that their motives have changed in the face of the war, forcing them to carefully relearn one another.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“War Horse”

Dec. 25
PG-13
Drama/War
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, David Thewlis

Directed by Steven Spielberg, “War Horse” is war drama set in WWI, based on a children’s novel of the same name written by British author Michael Morpurgo. The film tells the story of Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine) and his beloved horse, Joey. Joey is sold to the cavalry and sent off to France, embarking on an incredible journey that ends up leaving the horse in No Man’s Land. Even though Albert is too young to enlist, he embarks on an epic journey of his own to find Joey and finally bring him home where he belongs.

Click here to view the embedded video.

UltraStar was the first exhibitor in the world to be equipped with D-BOX Motion Seats. D-BOX Technologies uses motion integrated within theater seats to capture some of the best action scenes in all types of movies. Feeling the action immerses the guest in the movie like never before.

“Breaking Dawn” is the last novel in Stephenie Meyer’s hugely successful “Twilight” series. The book was split down the middle to get two films out of it and thus bleeding as much money out of the franchise as possible. If you’re one of the few people on earth that managed to isolate yourself from what happens in “Breaking Dawn,” you may want to skip this paragraph entirely. The plot of Part 1 is incredibly simple. Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Kristen Stewart) finally get married. It’s important to note that the wedding reception is one of the only times you will laugh without derision and it’s all thanks to Anna Kendrick, who reprises her role as Bella’s friend Jessica. Kendrick is genuinely funny while giving a very short speech to the newlyweds and it is a moment that will stand out in front of the entire film. After the wedding, Edward whisks Bella away on a honeymoon in South America, where they finally consummate their love in a very awkward and sexless sex scene. The sex results in Bella getting pregnant with a half-vampire baby that is rapidly growing and killing her from the inside. One disturbing childbirth scene later and Edward, desperately trying to keep Bella from dying, quickly turns her into a vampire and thus setting up the final film.

Let’s not forget Jacob (Taylor Lautner), Bella’s furry, love-struck friend. I feel bad for Lautner at this point. He’s had four of these films to grow as an actor but he hasn’t gotten any better. His wooden acting seems to have been completely accepted as long as he’ll unnecessarily take his shirt off (which he does at around minute two).

Director Bill Condon was a very strange choice for “Breaking Dawn.” Condon has made such films as “Kinsey” and “Gods and Monsters,” but doesn’t seem to have really taken any interest in “Breaking Dawn.” There’s no life in a film which should be all about the culmination of life, the moments before Bella ultimately wakes as a vampire. Without any energy to work with, the characters are left with terrible dialogue and drawn-out scenes that mirror what wading through molasses must feel like. With a runtime of 117 minutes, it’s almost impressive that “Breaking Dawn” feels more like four hours. Many scenes make you think you’re being forced to watch an already tedious movie in real-time. It could have been cut to a good 40 minutes and been a lot more enjoyable. You would still be stuck with banal dialogue and laughable CGI but at least you wouldn’t wonder where your life was going as the seconds slowly ticked by.

The supporting cast is mostly ignored, making them unnecessary statues in a film that surrounds Bella and Edward. Even Jacob, often a fixture in the franchise, is only around so he can wolf-out whenever he has a tantrum, running dramatically into the woods. With everything I didn’t like about the film, I have to mention that whoever is responsible for Kristen Stewart’s emaciated look while the baby is sucking all the life from her body did an excellent job. Bella looks absolutely skeletal and the sight definitely makes you cringe.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Filled with unintentionally hilarious scenes (CGI wolf arguments, Edward using Yahoo to look up demon babies, and an imprinting scene that also borders on creepy), “Breaking Dawn” is certainly not going to entice any new fans into the franchise. However, those who have devoured every single book and who waited for hours in a line to see it at midnight before their friends, will probably eat up the melodrama like it’s a grand gift to cinema. Regardless, I have a feeling that more often than not, “Breaking Dawn” will have people reevaluating the ways in which they make life decisions because if they made good ones, they certainly would have seen something else.

Henry Cavill (“Superman: Man of Steel”) is Theseus, a humble stonemason, mortal man sought out by the King of Gods, Zeus (Luke Evans, “The Three Musketeers“) to lead an army of men and put a stop to King Hyperion’s (Mickey Rourke, “Iron Man 2“) murderous rampage and save humanity.

King Hyperion’s bloodthirst for ultimate power results in an at-all-cost quest for the Bow of Epirus, a long lost weapon that could overthrow the Gods and crown him as the master of the universe.  The magical bow would set the Titans, imprisoned deep in the mountains for centuries, free and wage war against the Gods (Athena, Isabel Lucas; Poseidon, Kellan Lutz; Ares, Daniel Sharman; Apollo, Corey Sevier; Heracles, Steve Byers).

Zeus, in his human form of an old man (John Hurt), has been mentoring Theseus and believes that he’s mankind’s best hope.  He has faith that humans can and should save themselves without God’s interference.  Any God or Goddess who directly interferes would be punishable by death.  After his mother is killed before his eyes by King Hyperion’s soldiers, Theseus vows to avenge her death.  Fate leads him to the virgin oracle, Phaedra (Freida Pinto, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes“).  The priestess has visions of Theseus rising up for a higher purpose and leading the Hellenics army.

“Immortals” is lavishly and gorgeously produced.  It may not be faithful to the Greek mythology, but it’s a heavenly feast for the eyes.  Towering granite cliffs, mountain walls, shimmering seas, barren desert lands, edge-of-cliff villages, marbles palatial grounds, stone temples and giant statues.  Bronze, toned bodies clad in flowing robes, warrior armors and clashing swords.  Luminous Gods draped in gleaming gold and adorned with ornate headpieces.  Such mesmerizing, living paintings.

Even with the highly stylized battles and surreal blood sputtering, “Immortals” is a very violent fantasy.  Guts and gore galore with never-ending butchering, skewering, stabbing, slashing, beheading.  It does showcase Cavill’s capability in an extremely physical role.  His fierce fights with Rourke are incredible.  Since the filmmakers of ’Superman‘ was looking to create a more physical Man of Steel, it looks like they’ve found their star.

Overall, ”Immortals” is a lesser version of “300.”  Gods, soldiers, warriors, heroes, horses simply march from one place to another and battle one another.  With lackluster storytelling and character development, “Immortals” is truly a visual victory, but nothing more.

Copyright (c) 2011. Nathalia Aryani.

Nathalia Aryani is a business manager, foreign language translator, lifestyle/travel writer and film columnist. She can be reached at indotransserv@gmail.com. Nathalia owns a movies blog, The MovieMaven (http://themoviemaven.posterous.com).  Twitter: http://twitter.com/the_moviemaven

Who ever thought to add a sky battle between the Musketeers and the Cardinal’s men was brilliant.

What particularly added to the experience was the D-Box seating (available at UltraStar Cinemas). It really helped make the movie come alive. The seats moved the audience along the story and made the viewers experience the full power behind the fighting.

As the story progressed the character development within the plot was lacking. The film hardly offered insight into the characters such as the twisted passion of love and hatred between Athos and Milady, the Musketeer’s influence on the young D’Artagnan, and the Captain Rochefort’s (Mads Mikkelsen) villainy seems underplayed. D’Artagnan’s character seemed more like that of a young super hero with his fighting against majority of the Cardinal’s guards with perfect aim and ease.

For those who are fans of the classic novels and films, they may find the film disappointing.

All in all though, despite the lack in character development and subplots, the film was overall good. The action sequences with the sword fighting and martial arts were thrilling and exciting. The Musketeers provided excellent wit and hilarious humor throughout the film and really moved the audience in their sense of honor and loyalty.

This swashbuckling starts off in Venice, Italy with the Musketeer’s mission to infiltrate the vault of Leonardo Da Vinci’s work. There they hope to find his battle airship designs. Each of the Musketeer’s strengths and fighting styles are beautifully displayed as they perform their roles with perfection.

Athos (Matthew Macfadyen) is shown emerging from the deep canal waters while wearing a modernistic underwater breathing mask. He takes down the guards with quick ease and is joined by his love, the beautiful Milday de Winter (Milla Jovovich), who gives him a key.

The next scene is suddenly switched to the city’s rooftops where Aramis (Luke Evans) lurks, waiting in the darkness, as he finishes his prayers. He is then seen scaling down the rooftop to pounce on the unsuspecting noble and lady in their gondola. Where he steals the key from the noble, dumps him in the canal, and makes love with the lady.

Porthos (Ray Stevenson) is hilariously shown in the next scene as he takes down all the men in the room after he is seemingly chained to the wall. He breaks down the chains with his arms and steals the key from a noble, whom he had been waiting for in the dungeons the entire time.

However, the famous warriors’ success with the theft of Da Vinci’s work is short lived upon their realization of Milady’s betrayal. Having failed their mission, they are forced to return home in dishonor and shame.

Thus the introduction of the young D’Artagnan (Logan Lerman) comes into play as the young wanna-be Musketeer brashly challenges each of them into a duel. Instead of dueling, they band together to take on the Cardinals’ guards, much to the pleasure of the citizens and secret delight of the King (Freddie Fox).

We also meet the corrupt Cardinal Richelieu (Christoph Waltz) as he hopes to take down the King and Queen (Juno Temple) through his manipulations of court intrigue. As the Duke of Buckingham (Orlando Bloom) visits to show off his new ‘war machine’ toy, the fighting airship, the Cardinal plans to use this visit to his advantage by insinuating to the King an affair between the Duke and Queen.

Faced with the possibility of gaining their honor back, not to mention much needed funds, the newly spirited Musketeers take up the challenge to protect the Queen and thwart the Cardinal’s villainous plot.

The entire cast’s performance was excellent. Macfadyen, Stevenson, and Evans got the Musketeers’ personalities perfectly. And the villains, Jovovich, Bloom, and Waltz did a splendid job in showing the characters’ ease of court and psychological manipulations.

While Lerman did a great job as D’Artagnan with the action scenes, sadly he failed at performing as the handsome, masculine youth. He seemed too much like a pretty boy to play a musketeer.

All in all though the director, Paul W.S. Anderson did a great job in his remake of Alexandre Dumas’s novel, The Three Musketeers. AMC Film Critic stated, “There are times when director Anderson — channeling his inner Zack Synder and his own work on the Resident Evil franchise — ratchets up the sword play with amazing visual flourishes. His players bob, weave, and literally fly through the air in an ersatz wire-fu bullet time take on the old world fights.”

The film is definitely worth seeing and the D-Box features really help increase the story’s special effects. The D-Box really made the movie come alive and without it the film almost seemed dull. So go see it in D-Box while you still can.

UltraStar Cinemas’ DBox seat features were a fantastic addition to the film.  The DBox seats make the audiences feel as if they are in the middle of all the action.

They are reserved in the middle of the theater room surrounded by regular seats for those who choose to watch the film in the non-DBox format. Each one has a setting for the viewer to choose their preference of the seats’ motion effects as well.

Ultra Star Cinemas is headquartered in San Diego County and operates 141 screens at 14 sites throughout Southern California and Arizona. The company was formed in 1999 by John Ellison, Jr.and Alan Grossberg with the same goal in mind – be a pioneer in the industry and consistently stay onthe forefront of technology, while providing the best movie-going experience to every guest that walksthrough the doors.

UltraStar was the first exhibitor in the world to be equipped with D-BOX Motion Seats. D-BOX Technologies uses motion integrated within theater seats to capture some of the best action scenes in all types of movies. Feeling the action immerses the guest in the movie like never before.

Photos courtesy of 2011 Constantin Film Produktion GmbH, NEF Productions, S.A.S., and New Legacy Film Ltd. via film site.

There’s a saying that time is money.  What happens then if time replaces money as currency?  Something that must be earned or traded in order to extend your life?  Isn’t survival of the fittest unfair?  But if you could, would you choose to live forever?  How long do you think until enough is enough?

I first heard about “In Time” during this year’s Comic-Con and was most intrigued by the premise.  In this alternate reality, everyone is genetically engineered with an internal timer and aging stops at the age of 25.  Once you hit 25, you would only have one year to live.  If you can’t extend your clock, you die.

Society is divided into “time zones” that segregate the rich from the poor.  Timekeepers enforce order in order to prevent overpopulation.  The haves, with excess amount of time, have the privilege to live to eternity.  The have-nots live on a day-to-day basis and struggle without the possibility of upward mobility.  Those who can’t earn, beg, borrow or steal time, zero out their clock and die on the streets from a fatal shock to the heart.

Will Salas (Justin Timberlake, “The Social Network“), a laborer with a good heart, saves a wealthy man, Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer) from time thugs led by ‘Fortis’ (Alex Pettyfer, “I am Number Four“).  The suicidal man who possesses more than a hundred years has decided that he’s done with life and donates all his time to Will, unbeknownst to him.  Tragically, Will couldn’t arrive in the nick of time to transfer some of his time to prolong his mother’s (Olivia Wilde, “Tron Legacy“) life.

With his newfound lease on life, Will gets out of the ghetto, skips zones and arrives at the well-to-do’s doorsteps, with the intention of taking away what they’ve got.  Having the wealth of time allows him to mingle with the well-off and catches the eye of an heiress, Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried, “Letters to Juliet“) .  She’s the daughter of billionaire Philippe Weis (Vincent Kartheiser).  It’s like a twilight zone to see Philippe’s mother-in-law, wife and daughter all appear to be the same age, frozen in time.

When timekeepers, headed by Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy, “Inception“), finds Henry’s body and a security camera leads them to Will, Will becomes a wanted man, falsely accused of murder.  He ensnares Sylvia, who eventually becomes his accomplice in his “Robin Hood” mode, in a race for survival and to distribute the gift of life to those less fortunate.

Aside from the futuristic aspect, the thought-provoking premise isn’t helped by a mediocre script, a pace that drags and cardboard characters.  There are chunks of Bonnie-and-Clyde actions with Will and Sylvia on the run.  Actions that become rather lifeless after a while.  A standout scene, of all things, is an arm-wrestling between Will and Fortis, a clever way for Will to gain time.

“In Time” is stylistically entertaining, but the story could have been a lot more developed.

Copyright (c) 2011. Nathalia Aryani.

Nathalia Aryani is a business manager, foreign language translator, lifestyle/travel writer and film columnist. She can be reached at indotransserv@gmail.com. Nathalia owns a movies blog, The MovieMaven (http://themoviemaven.posterous.com).  Twitter: http://twitter.com/the_moviemaven

Written and directed by Bruce Robinson, the writer and director of the iconic “Withnail and I,” “Rum Diary” has its flaws but they certainly don’t outweigh the film’s strengths. Johnny Depp’s portrayal of a young Thompson finding his voice and reinventing himself as the man who will change the face of American journalism, makes “The Rum Diary” worth every minute.

Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) is the Thompson of this story, an American expatriate who has gotten a job in Puerto Rico at the San Juan Star, a newspaper that caters to American tourists living in their bubble of hotel casinos. His new editor, Lotterman (Richard Jenkins), is sober with a bad wig and has little time for drunken shenanigans in his staff. However, aside from some yelling, the desperate editor doesn’t interfere with Kemp’s alcoholic habits and lets the writer roam free. The smoky newsroom also features Sala (a beyond excellent Michael Rispoli), the grizzled photographer for the paper in which Kemp finds himself a roommate and partner-in-crime. There’s also Moburg (the scene-stealing Giovanni Ribisi), the Nazi paraphernalia collecting religion expert of the paper, and a man whose identity is one created from the depths of his home-made alcohol that could fuel a tank.

Things are only calm for so long before Kemp meets Sanderson, the PR shark (Aaron Eckhart) that bedazzles turtles and sees mother-nature in terms of dollar signs. Sanderson is the epitome of American greed, a man who plans on building so many hotels that you can’t “see the sea.” Kemp allows himself to get pulled into Sanderson’s greedy, exploitive real estate deal due to his unbearable attraction to Sanderson’s young, bored girlfriend, Chenault (a 50s magazine cover come to life by Amber Heard). Despite the seduction of capitalism, Kemp eventually writes something true, on behalf of the island’s silenced working class, and finds himself dealing with the consequences of that truth.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The film is almost too timid at times, never taking full advantage of the story available, and has a lackluster ending, complete with ill-placed character updates. With so much material from the novel available to it, the film never takes complete advantage. Some choices (the melding of two characters within Kemp, for example) make sense but others translate poorly in execution. Thompson filled his novel with amazingly rich observations and without his words, the film adaptation feels emptier. However, the film is beautiful to look at thanks to director of photography Dariusz Wolski (“Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Alice in Wonderland”). Wolski allows Puerto Rico to be a star character with its gorgeous beaches, achingly broken cities, and the seductive lies of shiny new hotels. He expertly shows you the beauty of the land, even from within the poverty.

Where the film truly soars, though, is Depp’s understanding of Thompson’s soul and his ability to pull the humanity from the often misunderstood representation of Thompson. He turns away from the manic side that he portrayed so well as Raoul Duke in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” and focuses instead on the introspective and insecure side to Thompson. Depp shows a young man who is almost torturing himself with the successes of fellow writers, constantly comparing himself to the likes of Cooleridge and Oscar Wilde. Depp imbues within Kemp a man who doesn’t yet know how to write like himself, how to use his own biting voice to attack the “bastards” who are luring people into the falsity of the American Dream.

Johnny Depp looks to be having the time of his life, playing his life-long friend and idol once again on screen. His reverence and respect for Thompson shines, not just in the film itself but in the long process in making and releasing the film. Prior to filming “Fear and Loathing,” Depp lived in Thompson’s basement so he could better adopt the eccentric journalist’s mannerisms. While there, Depp discovered the forgotten novel, which was finally published in 1998 (the same year in which “Fear and Loathing” was released), and vowed to put it onscreen. The original plan was to produce the film together but when Thompson killed himself in 2005, Depp was the sole driving force of the production. While the film was finished two years ago, the release date was deliberately pushed back. The reason was mainly due to Johnny Depp’s insistence that the film be distanced from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise so that it could have its own moment in the box office. Had they been released together, the flashier, emptier, Jack Sparrow would have eclipsed the self-doubting Paul Kemp, a choice which would have been a disservice to Thompson’s memory and a lifelong regret of Depp’s.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“The Rum Diary” is more for Hunter S. Thompson than anyone else and Thompson would be the first to appreciate the film’s departure from his insane alter-ego; the alter-ego that he couldn’t escape from, and almost lost himself in, later in life. Audiences will certainly want more weirdness in “Rum Diary” and may not like the film, but Johnny Depp and Hunter S. Thompson certainly don’t care. It’s not about the weirdness. It’s about the beginnings to the weirdness, the calm before the incredibly strange and iconic storm.

Young and bright, Stephen is the idealist aide in the team led by senior campaign manager Paul Zara (Phillip Seymour Hoffman).  He’s the one the governor turns to when looking for a more truthful picture about the campaign, as opposed to the more jaded Paul.

The opening speech provides a glance of the kind of candidate Morris is.  Charismatic and presidential-looking, he claims that the constitution is his religion and appears to possess the kinds of ideals that people are aiming for.

In an exchange with Ida Horowicz (Marisa Tomei), a New York Times reporter, Stephen conveys his confidence that he truly believes Morris would make a difference in the lives of people should he be elected as president.  He’s not just a politician.

With Ohio being the battleground state, Morris must capture the state.  In order to do so, he would need to have Senator Thompson’s (Jeffrey Wright) endorsement to gain the support of his sizeable delegates.  And with that, Morris would be able to lock in North Carolina, the senator’s home state, and hit the home run with Pennsylvania, his state, and then clinch the nomination.  Sounds like a decent plan, except that the senator would go with whoever could provide him with a certain guarantee about his lofty request, which Morris steadfastly refuses to do.

On the other hand, Morris’ opponent, Senator Pullman (Michael Mantell), whose campaign is led by Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti), would have no trouble in fulfilling the senator’s ambition.  Tom gets Stephen to secretly meet with him and plead with him to switch sides, with the argument that he would be on the winning team eventually when his team bags the crucial endorsement. Tom needs Stephen because of his expertise and likeability factor; simply put, he makes everything effortless and is adored by the press.

When the secretive meeting somehow gets leaked to the media, things snowball downward.  This happens around the time when Stephen is also handling a delicate dalliance with an intern, Molly Stearns (Evan Rachel Wood), who has just dropped him a bombshell.  Molly happens to be the daughter of the DNC Chairman, Jack Stearns (Gregory Itzin).

Whereas the news Stephen has received from Molly shatters his illusion about Governor Morris and his loyalty tested, he still feels compelled to take matters into his own hand on behalf of the campaign and moves on as planned.  He declines Tom’s offer and continues to remain on the Morris campaign.  It’s a game-changer, however, when Stephen finds out about the source of the leak and the fate of his promising career.

The way the story unfolds is fascinating to watch.  Stephen learns the rope rapidly during this cruel political duel and morality tale, transforming him from fresh to seasoned.  It’s do or die.  No longer naive, he becomes the type of shrewd that you’d never imagine he’d be.

We’re all shaped by the choices we make.  Are you in it to win it at any cost or only as long as you believe in the cause?  Would you always do the right thing even if you know it would not serve you right in the long run?  Or would you choose whatever means necessary as long as the end justifies the means?

“The Ides of March” is one of the best films of the year.  Razor-sharp with superb script, smart direction and compelling acting by the whole ensemble.  The astuteness is shades of last year’s “The Social Network.”

The story is a brilliant human chess game.  Play or get played.  If you don’t make a move or respond accordingly, you’ll be taken out of the game.  Intense moments, even during quieter, unseen scenes would feel as if gunfire would break out any minute.  It feels like blood has been shed, even without a single weapon drawn or shot fired.  It’s that good.

We’d like to believe that true democracy is alive and well and that the best person wins.  While “The Ides of March” is certainly a work of fiction, the story depicted may be as realistic as it can get to our political process.  Be a player or a pawn; it’s politics as usual.

Copyright (c) 2011. Nathalia Aryani.

Nathalia Aryani is a business manager, foreign language translator, lifestyle/travel writer and film columnist. She can be reached at indotransserv@gmail.com. Nathalia owns a movies blog, The MovieMaven (http://themoviemaven.posterous.com).  Twitter: http://twitter.com/the_moviemaven

Though, ironically, these themes of finding your identity and teenage angst are nearly synonymous, the obvious juxtaposition isn’t enough to produce an engaging film.  “Abduction” on so many levels focuses on the mediocre.  While infinitesimal topics get mentioned like the importance of Facebook to a young teen, this overall approach detracts from the real action of the story.  And this makes for stiff gestures, acting that dragged, and dialogue that stifled great talents like Sigourney Weaver, who appears in the film as Nathan’s psychologist.

To get the overall sense of the story, we meet Nathan Harper (Taylor Lautner) very early on.  The opening scene is of a cliff-hanger shot as Harper rides shotgun atop the windshield of a truck.  His friends are both maneuvering the wheel with one hand and wildly cheering their friend on with the other.  Cut-scene and we are abruptly placed at a house-party that soon gets out of control, leaving Harper in his underwear on someone’s lawn the next morning (one of many tributes to Team Jacob-fans everywhere).

Harper’s father finds him in this inebriated state and immediately dashes him home to start grilling him on his fighting/boxing/karate skills.  Then, time for school.  As the lengthy school day yawns ahead, we find out that Lautner has a crush on Karen Murphy, played by Lily Collins.  When the two get assigned as partners for a school project, little do they realize that this ‘partnership’ will undergo many trials and tribulations before real trust gets earned.

And because so much of “Abduction” hinges on this idea that you can’t just trust anybody makes for a dubious premise for an action-thriller.  Like an after-school special caked with special messages, you can’t help but think that Hollywood needs to be a little more creative if they want to convince adults as well as teens that this isn’t dumbed-down material.

This review also includes the D-box Motion Seats experience, an enjoyable rollercoaster-ish ride that when paired with the movie made for a very realistic approach to experiencing film.  Scenes like the one where we find Nathan lodged on the windshield as the car eases down a sharp incline, the extreme vertigo that you get to feel is very real.  And other scenes like the ones that have Lautner and Collins on a train makes you feel like you are in the film, experiencing every bump and ebb of the train ride.  Available at all Ultra Star Cinemas, but only for select films, make sure you reserve your seats today.

Brought to you by UltraStar Cinemas

UltraStar Cinemas’ DBox seat features were a fantastic addition to the film.  The DBox seats make the audiences feel as if they are in the middle of all the action.

Seats vibrate to make you feel the full power of the films. The seats make you feel as you too are with the characters in everything they do.

They are reserved in the middle of the theater room surrounded by regular seats for those who choose to watch the film in the non-DBox format. Each one has a setting for the viewer to choose their preference of the seats’ motion effects as well.

Ultra Star Cinemas is headquartered in San Diego County and operates 141 screens at 14 sites throughout Southern California and Arizona. The company was formed in 1999 by John Ellison, Jr.and Alan Grossberg with the same goal in mind – be a pioneer in the industry and consistently stay onthe forefront of technology, while providing the best movie-going experience to every guest that walksthrough the doors.

UltraStar was the first exhibitor in the world to be equipped with D-BOX Motion Seats. D-BOX Technologies uses motion integrated within theater seats to capture some of the best action scenes in all types of movies. Feeling the action immerses the guest in the movie like never before.

Photo Courtesy of nxusco via Flickr

“Driver” (Ryan Gosling), a Hollywood stunt driver and mechanic by day, moonlights as a wheelman for robbers at night.  He’s the silent figure who drives the getaway car.  He knows his escape routes.  He drives.  That’s it.  We know nothing else about him, not even his real name.

Driver maintains a cordial working relationship with “Shannon” (Bryan Cranston), his boss.  Knowing how good Driver is at his job, his boss would like to install him as a race car driver and introduces him to his connections for financial backing, Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks) and “Nino” (Ron Perlman).

Driver is a loner.  His work is his life.  That changes when he runs into and befriends his neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan, “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps“), and her son, Benicio (Kaden Leos).  Trouble starts when Irene’s husband is released from prison and his past is catching up with him.  Driver offers to help him out with a “last job” as a means to keep Irene and Benicio safe.  It turns out that the job, a seemingly simple robbery of a pawn shop, is not as it appears to be.  The botched job is linked to other connections beyond belief and things go very wrong from there.

Don’t mistake “Drive” as a typical action movie.  It has an arthouse feel to it, which reminds me of last year’s “The American.”  You won’t find endless car chases or explosions.  What you will find are dramatic episodes of extreme violence interspersed with nearly wordless scenes.  From an agreeable handshake to flesh slicing.  Or a tender kiss to skull-crushing kicks.  It’s shockingly, mercilessly brutal and bloody.

“Drive” is a story about a someone who’s always in the driver’s seat, but goes overdrive to protect the people he cares about.  Driver is a man of intense actions with a few words.  Gosling owns every screen he’s in and conveys much through a glance, stare, smile, hand or touch.  Calm and controlled, but primal and deliberate.

As a whole, the film seems pointless and incredulous.  Yet it’s thoroughly absorbing and easy to suspend disbelief because of its noir style and trance-like atmosphere, underscored by its prevailing pulsing score, and maudlin in some.  “Drive” is not for everyone.  But this is one that will make a lasting imprint.

Copyright (c) 2011. Nathalia Aryani.

Nathalia Aryani is a business manager, foreign language translator, lifestyle/travel writer and film columnist. She can be reached at indotransserv@gmail.com. Nathalia owns a movies blog, The MovieMaven (http://themoviemaven.posterous.com).  Twitter: http://twitter.com/the_moviemaven

Remember about a year ago when you first heard about a movie called “The Human Centipede” and you thought to yourself, “Gee, I wonder what that’s all about?”  Then you either rented it or read a description and found out that, of course, the main plot was about a German doctor who kidnaps tourists and sews them together, mouth to rear end, forming a human centipede, remember that?

Who can forget?

Well good news, the trailer for “The Human Centipede 2” was released, and there’s really no better way to describe it than all sorts of insane looking.

Actually, there were two trailers released, one of which shows a few crazy scenes from the new movie, and another that shows individuals sitting in a room watching a sneak peak of the full length and either throwing up or pounding on the door begging to be let out of the screening room.   Sounds promising.

Dutch filmmaker Tom Six has returned to the director’s chair for the second installment of “The Human Centipede,” which is set to hit theaters in the United States October 6.  The film has already been banned in the United Kingdom for its sexually violent plotline, and honestly, it’s not hard to see why.  The plot of “The Human Centipede 2,” according to IMDB, goes a little something like this:

“It’s the story of a man who becomes sexually obsessed with a DVD recording of the first film in the series, The Human Centipede, and uses sandpaper to pleasure himself whilst watching the film.  He decides to create a “human centipede” of his own, this time comprised of 12 victims as opposed to the first film’s three . . .”

The end of that summary is literally too disturbing to type, so you can read it yourself on IMDB should you choose.  Needless to say, the debate is on as to whether horror movies have gone too far.  All I can say is that, in order to get the images of “The Human Centipede 2” out of my head, I tried as hard as possible to think of a funny movie and a particular line from the 90’s classic Billy Madison came to mind.  Consider yourself advised; see this movie at your own mental risk.  But should you choose to, and should you happen to like it, in my opinion, “you will be awarded no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”

And I could probably say the same thing about this next movie as it is every bit ridiculous as the first although, thankfully, does not feature characters sewn together mouth to anus.  Instead, it features a shark swallowing an entire lifeboat of people whole and the most ridiculous and graphic pick-up line ever uttered in a movie.  Again, sounds promising.

With the return of the scary shark movie trend these days, along with the recent shark sightings in San Diego, the 2002 flop film “Shark Attack 3: Megalodon” is again rising to the surface.

Think “Jaws” meets “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” with this gem.  The plot of two scientists who find a giant shark tooth of the coast of Mexico and realize that the shark they thought was dead in “Shark Attack 2″ is alive and hunting again is comical, but not nearly as much as the scene in which a lifeboat full of people gets swallowed whole by terribly digitally enhanced shark that’s the size of a semi-truck.

And not to give away the ending, but in that same scene the bad guy who is trying to escape on a jet ski drives right into the mouth of the awaiting shark as well.  But maybe the best part about the whole thing is that the movie is completely serious in it’s ridiculousness.  Although it was filmed in 2001 it looks like a movie from the 80′s, and it doesn’t even try to hide it.  So if you’re bored after seeing “Shark Night 3D” and feel like a comical look at a shark, check out “Shark Attack 3.”  Basically, it’s so stupid, you’ll end up laughing.

And hey, it’s better than watching a movie in which a person’s mouth gets sewn to another person’s anus.

Sorry, I’ll pay for your next lunch if you just lost it.

photos courtesy of chamber of fear via flickr

A book launch, a heroic retelling about how three young Mossad agents brought down a Nazi war criminal, sets the stage for a dramatic spy story.

The book is penned by Sarah Gold, the admiring daughter of Rachel Singer (Helen Mirren), the central hero of the story.  A tragic news about one of the players and former colleague portrayed in the book, David Peretz (Ciaran Hinds) brings together Rachel and Stephan Gold (Tom Wilkinson), into unsettling conversations.  Stephan happens to be Rachel’s ex-husband, Sarah’s father, and the former lead agent.

Long-absent from the world, David has surprisingly come out to see Rachel earlier.  The incident opens up the mystery about what really happened that rainy New Year’s Eve over 30 years ago in East Germany, and what they need to do next as a result.

Flashback to 1965.  The top covert mission is clear.  First confirm the identity of the Nazi doctor, Dieter Vogel (Jesper Christensen), who did horrible experiments on the Jewish children.  Then nab, drug and smuggle him across the border to Israel so that he will stand trial for his unspeakable crimes.  The reality isn’t so simple.

The three young agents, played by Jessica Chastain (Rachel), Sam Worthington (David) and Stephan (Marton Csokas), live and train together in a dingy flat – each plays a crucial role in the mission.  Stephan, strong and dominant, is the team leader.  David is strongly determined, but mostly private and quiet.  Losing his entire family in the Holocaust, he keeps to himself most times.  Rachel goes undercover as a patient with infertility issues to see Vogel, now “Doktor Bernhardt,” a gynecologist.  David, poses as her husband, accompanies her walks to the clinic.  Considering what Vogel is capable of, the intimate nature of the examination, where Rachel has her feet up in the stirrups, would make anyone squirm.

While the nail-biting kidnapping is a success, the run toward freedom is not.  Due to the covert nature of the mission, the trio doesn’t have any backup to support them.  They find themselves stranded with Vogel tied up in their flat.  The captured target is a master manipulator.  It’s ominous to watch the effects of mind-manipulation even on the hardiest professionals.  During the individual shifts to feed him, Vogel skillfully breaks down the agents’ personal defenses and turn them against one another.  It doesn’t help that a love triangle is already formed.  While it’s obvious that Rachel and David have developed feelings for each other, however restrained, it’s Stephan that Rachel ends up with during one forlorn night.

“The Debt” is stellarly set, shot, and acted.  The dark and grubby abode heightens the claustrophobic tension.  With plenty of old-fashioned suspense and action, the story (written by Matthew Vaughn, “X-Men: First Class“) also zooms in on the relationships among the main characters, and their inner beliefs and values.  All the actors rise up to the occasion.

How much does the truth cost?  Would there ever be a case where the greater good matter more?  How would one right a wrong if doing so would adversely affect their country and the lives of the people they care about most?

The messy ending is dissatisfying, but it doesn’t take away from this morally ambiguous and emotionally compelling story.  A taut thriller about secrets, lies, love, promise, honor, sacrifice, and truth.

Copyright (c) 2011. Nathalia Aryani.

Nathalia Aryani is a business manager, foreign language translator, lifestyle/travel writer and film columnist. She can be reached at indotransserv@gmail.com. Nathalia owns a movies blog, The MovieMaven (http://themoviemaven.posterous.com).  Twitter: http://twitter.com/the_moviemaven

Emma (Anne Hathaway) is a middle-class bookish with a more realistic and at times pessimistic outlook on life.  Dexter (Jim Sturgess) is a charmer from a wealthy family who could be anything he wants to be.  Every July 15 we’re shown snapshots of their lives – aspiration, career, love, loss, divorce, death – together and apart.

Hathaway fits the role of Emma, although it takes getting used to her British accent.  While we get to see Dexter’s side with his family, we do not get the same benefit with Emma.  With booze and drugs and women, the character of Dexter isn’t likeable; it is to Sturgess’ fine performance and boyish charm that he’s very much tolerable.

While Emma’s fashion sense and inner confidence blossom, it’s actually Dexter that we see the evolution the most. The weary, older Dexter in the later part of 2000s is a world apart from the fresh-faced, eager Dex when he first appears.

There are adorable and tear-jerker moments for sure.  The first July 15 carries great promise of what’s to come.  Although when part of the ending reveals the last half of their first day together, it’s hard to believe that they would decide to remain just friends.  The flirtatious French jaunt earlier in the years is fun and the later reunion an emotional one.

Based on a novel written by David Nicholls, the story does not translate well onto the screen.  As the years progress, we see changes in Emma and Dexter and their surroundings, but it feels like the scenes are merely events moving along through the motion. In attempt to fit in as many years as possible, the result is almost like being read narratives about what they do.  Instead of delving deeper into certain segments of their lives, investing in the characters and connecting more with their relationships in the process, the film inexplicably leaves pivotal milestones offscreen.

The execution makes it nearly devoid of what makes a story interesting; the build-up, character and relationship development, and payoff.  The last third act leading to the ending is very anti-climatic.  And the ending appears to be out of nowhere, aiming for a shock value.  It’s a shame for a story that has so much potentials to be a classic like “The Notebook.”

“One Day” has a unique twist in telling an epic love story.  Unfortunately, the intrigue stops short with the concept.

Copyright (c) 2011. Nathalia Aryani.

Nathalia Aryani is a business manager, foreign language translator, lifestyle/travel writer and film columnist. She can be reached at indotransserv@gmail.com. Nathalia owns a movies blog, The MovieMaven (http://themoviemaven.posterous.com).  Twitter: http://twitter.com/the_moviemaven

Imagine a stadium filled with high-schoolers cheering for their favorite athlete.  Trade in the athletes with the cast members of Glee and your student body with avid followers of the hit TV show and you got the basic premise behind “Glee: The 3D Concert Movie.”  Although producers of the movie spent a great deal of time and energy getting audience members revved up, the prep rally atmosphere isn’t the only thing fans can look forward to.

“Glee,” the movie, follows the same trajectory as the prime time show.  Outsider inclusivity and social acceptance is the series’ main core, and footage of shout outs from concert-goers dispersed throughout the film demonstrates that avid fans of the show, aka, Gleeks are cheering for their own heroes.  Though, ironically, those under the Gleek banner are obviously insiders of another type of exclusivity, everyone is more than welcome to join in on the fun.

Several concert highlights include a very provocative dance done by Brittany Pierce (Heather Morris) as she slays all inhibitions with the number, “I’m a Slave 4 U.”  Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) stretches her vocals with her rendition of “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” while Darren Criss, lead of the all male ensemble – the Warblers as Blaine – charms the crowd with “Teenage Dream.”

Sharing the spotlight with the cast of “Glee” who stay in character throughout the movie, are several other personalities – some, who even deserve star treatment.

A look into the lives of a teenage dwarf cheerleader, a young gay male with a tale about overcoming embarrassment, and a high schooler dealing with aspergers disease are several true stories that gets featured.  These real-life heroes are one example of how “Glee” has impacted the world with its stories.

Another example would have to be the Mini-Warbler, aka 4-year-old Kellen Sarmiento, who gained his status as one of the Warblers through a Youtube video that went viral the day after it got posted.  In the video, Kellen could be seen singing and dancing in time to the Warblers, who are on the TV screen just behind him.  The San Diegan has been approached by numerous agents for his talents in memorizing lyrics and learning dance steps.  Mark Sarmiento and his wife, Emily, still haven’t decided in what direction, if any, to take their son’s budding career, reports SignOnSanDiego.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Whether you’re looking forward to the cast of “Glee” gracing the stage onscreen or watching actual accounts of personalities evolving through the show, there is so much to look out for in the movie.  The 3D effects make what would otherwise be static movements, dynamic and exciting.  You can’t help but want to get up and dance around while watching the movie.  And often times you find yourself naturally clapping and cheering with the crowd.

Photo Courtesy of David Jones via Flickr

In “Another Earth,” not only that another planet is discovered from behind the sun, but literally another Earth, a mirror of ours.  And the inhabitants are not simply living and breathing things; they are us.

Rhoda Williams (Brit Marling) is a promising astrophysics student who has just been accepted by MIT.  In the evening of celebration, she parties and drinks too much.  On the road, while looking out the window and staring up to the identical Earth in the sky, she crashes her car into a minivan.  The crash leaves John Burroughs (William Mapother),  a Yale music professor, in a coma and kills his wife and toddler son.

Four years later, instead of graduating from college, Rhoda is released from behind bars.  She punishes herself and withdraws from the world.  She takes a job as a high school janitor.  That sole survivor, John, is now a shell of his former self.  After finding out that this gifted composer spends his days sleeping in, drinking and on medication, and lives in an unkempt home, Rhoda commits in doing the unimaginable.  The attempted suicide in the snow is a striking scene.

Rhoda weaves herself into John’s life in a desperate bid to help him.  Her attempts to apologize fall through.  Through her cleaning service and companionship, she and John eventually bond – without John knowing about her true identity.  Her record is sealed since she’s a minor at the time of her conviction.

When a company offers a writing contest for a space travel to ‘Earth 2′ (as it’s called b by our Earth), Rhoda sends her essay and wins a ticket.  She’s willing to venture out to the unknown universe for another chance, even though it’s not clear what kind of chance that is – perhaps changing the past, making a different decision, or a new beginning.  There’s a theory that when each Earth is aware of the existence of another, the synchronicity would be broken and a new reality is formed.

“Another Earth” is a character-centered drama about anguish, guilt, grief, repetance and redemption – with  science fiction as a backdrop.  Throughout there’s a dreaded sense as the story moves along toward Rhoda’s eventual reveal to John.  Marling is a darling here.  She’s a natural with her soulful expressions.  Somehow she succeeds in making you symphatize with her character.

“Another Earth” is quietly moody and haunting, with pensive looks, singular sounds and long walks.  The photography is uneven between amateurish and arresting.  I had to do a double take on the ending, as it could be interpreted in different ways.  It’s a letdown initially, but it grows on me.  Still, my curiosity nature would have liked to learn more about Earth 2.

The premise is incredibly intriguing that it’s hard to live up to its potentials. There are so many ways to craft and execute a story out of it.  Personally, I hope that another filmmaker would run with the concept and do another take.

If you’re looking for a pure science fiction or action, you won’t find it here.  But if you’re looking to ponder about possibilities, this is one of those films that will make you think.

Copyright (c) 2011. Nathalia Aryani.

Nathalia Aryani is a business manager, foreign language translator, lifestyle/travel writer and film columnist. She can be reached at indotransserv@gmail.com. Nathalia owns a movies blog, The MovieMaven (http://themoviemaven.posterous.com).  Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/the_moviemaven

The next installment of “The Dark Knight” series is scheduled to be released on July 20, 2012.

For those who are wondering whether the Riddler will be appearing, he will not be in this particular film. In May last year, Christopher Nolan, the film’s director, has confirmed that there will be no Mr. Freeze, no Riddler, no Penguin, and no Joker return.

So who will be the next villain? Or should I say villainess?

That’s right readers, Batman’s latest arch nemesis will be a woman, Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway). Kyle becomes the alluring and dangerous Catwoman.

It has recently been announced that dark character will be in the film, the villain Bane (Tom Hardy). According to an interview with Hardy, conducted by the Daily Blam, Hardy hopes to gain 30 pounds for his role. He says that Nolan will be revisiting the role in a different way.

Julie Newman was the first actress to portray Catwoman in the “Batman” TV series that aired back in 1966. During the show’s third season, Eartha Kitt replaced her.

Michelle Pfeiffer was the next actress that stepped up to the lady feline’s role. She portrayed beautifully as Catwoman in “Batman Returns” (1992). The last woman who starred as Catwoman was Halle Berry who performed the role for the film, “Catwoman” (2004). However the character’s alter ego was changed to Patience Phillips.

Now Anne Hathaway will be stepping into role with a new look for the Catwoman. A new photo was released showing the new Catwoman wearing a skintight jumpsuit with black goggles.

According to MTV News, Hathaway, 28, is excited to be filmed as the next Catwoman, but hasn’t revealed anything else about her role due to the “blood oath” she said she had signed.

The film will also include the usual cast of Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), Alfred (Michael Cain), Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), and a surprise reappearance of Liam Neeson as Ra’s al Ghul. Other people joining the cast will be John Blake (Joseph Gordon Levitt) and Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard).

Sadly Nolan has admitted that this will be his last Batman movie. He plans to end the trilogy with “The Knight Rises.” Bale has also said that this will also be his final Batman film.

Click here to view the embedded video.

According to On Location Vacations, a, a source used for celebrity sightings and filming locations, Warner Bros plans on filming “The Dark Knight” from Aug. 10 and Aug. 20 in Pittsburgh.

Photos courtesy of Brett Jordan Anthony Citrano, spaceamoeba, and pop culture geek via Flickr.

Photo courtesy of <a href=”http://www.zigzaglens.com“>fashion photographer Anthony Citrano</a>

Dave Lockwood (Bateman) is a hard-working lawyer and father of three, who is best friends with Mitch Planko (Reynolds), a responsibility-shirking man-child. The duo go out for drinks one night, say the magic words that need to be said in this kind of movie, and wake up the next morning in each others’ bodies. This, predictably, causes a slew of problems as Dave and Mitch attempt to switch back and get used to each others’ lives.

Most of these problems are the reason “The Change-Up” is rated R. The film was written by “The Hangover” writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, who provide the characters with some very adult situations, most of them involving nudity. Mitch and Dave also throw profanities around like good cheer on Christmas day, and there are a few instances of marijuana smoking. But when looking at the big picture, these characteristics alone are not what make the movie undesirable– it’s that none of these elements provide many laughs. The scenes are cliché and one-dimensional, reminding audiences of a Judd Apatow comedy.

However, there are a few moments the movie shines. Similar to others of its kind such as “Freaky Friday,” the ending is touching and heartfelt. The chemistry between Bateman and Reynolds is strong, and supporting characters Jamie Lockwood (Leslie Mann) and Sabrina McArdle (Olivia Wilde), who play Dave’s husband and his coworker, respectively, provide some depth in the plot.

The movie is not a chore to get through. In fact, it is entertaining and funny at times. The problem is that the body-swapping idea has been done so many times before, audiences can foresee many of the plot twists. This eliminates all the element of surprise and instead survives solely on the comedy of situational irony, which is why movie-goers can potentially find the film frustrating and empty of a compelling storyline.

“The Change-Up” is perfect for those who enjoy movies with simple plots that provide an easy-going movie-watching experience. Those searching for more sophisticated and intellectual films should look elsewhere.

The film starts off innocently enough in Smurfland, where the Smurfs — tiny blue gnome-like creatures named after their archetypes (i.e. Lazy Smurf, Clumsy Smurf, Papa Smurf, etc.) — skip and climb trees and sing blithely.  The evil wizard Gargamel (played by Hank Azaria) chases the Smurfs through a digital reality portal, transporting them from fantasy Smurfland to real-life Central Park in New York City.  This crossing over is not entirely new — it has been done before in other PG films such as “Enchanted” as well as “Alvin & the Chipmunks.”

The Smurfs eventually come across a harried corporate ad man (Neil Patrick Harris) and his doe-eyed wife (Jayma Mays), who help them escape Gargamel and his comical sidekick cat and help the Smurfs find their way back to their village, in the process overcoming their own dilemma about having children.

Matched with the classic old-school cartoon characters from the 1980s, the movie seems like a good idea.  However, as film critic Ed Symkus said, there were simply too many cooks.  ”Four different writers, all trying to get their own ideas of what will work into the script.  We need to make a kids movie.  We need to make a movie adults will watch,  We need to tie it all together for kids and adults.”  Perhaps if the writers could have collectively agreed to focus on the Smurfs instead of the viewers, the rest would have fallen into place.

So what can viewers expect from the 86-minute 3D adventure?

Answer: A nice virtual tour of New York city, mediocre puns involving the word “smurf” (i.e. “smurftamistic” and “pessasmurftic” and similar pearls of smurfdom), and lots of “la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.”  To borrow one of the film’s taglines, “Smurf happens”, but not much else.

Images  by victoria white2010 and david_shankbone via Flickr.