2012's Movie Disappointments

If you went in to the theater to watch Silent Hill: Revelation 3D, then you probably have set your standards low enough to not have a bad time. But when you think a movie is great and then you sit through it to realize how wrong you were, feeling betrayed by the internet who has hyped that shit you are tolerating now. And you just can't wait to finish it and blog about it and just about how unfair life is and you cry and wish to see your therapist. That's what normally happens right? No? Oh...

Anyways, with 2012 almost out the door, I am recounting my ten most disappointing movie experiences of the past year. This is not exclusive to movies initially hyped as good and completely falling short, but also for movies that didn't come on time or those that failed to meet box office expectations. So without further ado, let's begin.

Carano on top of Fassbender's neck. One of Haywire's most
intense fight scenes

10. Haywire is actually boring

Sodebergh is my hero after what he has accomplished with last year's medical tragedy cum social commentary film Contagion. Thus, in my books, he can do no wrong, even with the controversial casting of an MMA fighter, Gina Carano, to lead his latest film. Then voila, I ended up regretting hyping the film. Let's just say it's not for everybody, and it tends to be boring when there aren't any fight scenes. And while the fight scenes were gritty and cool (remember how Fassbender died here and how Tatum smashed Carano's head on the table), it just doesn't have enough energy to keep it going. It worked for me on some cases, but it felt mediocre at best. I wouldn't say Carano was a bad actress, she felt surprisingly at home and the camera loved her, but perhaps it's the story. We've seen this before and some did it better, more intense, more spirited.

Marilyn Monroe (Williams) gets a pep talk from
her acting coach Paula. They're late to the set as usual.

9. Hugo, War Horse, My Week with Marilyn, The Descendants, The Muppets, The Artist, and Moneyball only came to theatres middle of 2012

It will be forever a thorn on my movie-watching side, this MMFF. The once home to Filipino filmmaking greats is now nothing but a moneymaking machine for the moviegoing masses who don't mind seeing the same jokes played out year after another and that cinematic cockblock to film buffs eager to make love to Oscar frontrunners released late of the current year. This year, the MMDA film fest has cockblocked Life of Pi (to  to a January 9 screening, thank God!), Zero Dark Thirty (January 11), and Les Miz (January 16). The Silver Linings Playbook still hasn't gotten a playdate (come on, dudes, that's Bradley Cooper and Katniss Everdeen!). Last year, it blocked Hugo (screened February), War Horse (got a slot in January, then moved to May), My Week With Marilyn (March, limited), Moneyball (April!!!, limited), The Descendants (April), and The Muppets (May, limited). The Artist didn't get a wide release either, and that's an Oscar Best Picture film for 2011. Sigh!

Yikes!

8. Gangster Squad moved to 2013 screening, so did The Great Gatsby

Someone went mad and killed people in the moviehouse. That's how Gangster Squad got moved to a 2013 screening as they need to remove a scene reminiscent of this incident. This is disappointing as I felt the movie lost some of its mojo already. So it was also annoying to hear word that the December release date for The Great Gatsby was moved to May 2013. Bummer!

The most "emotional" scene in Ang Nawawala

7. Ang Nawawala's aimlessness

I could not believe how Jamora's entry to the Cinemalaya 2012 got a standing ovation for minutes, based on what was hyped around the internet. It's like the hashtag #firstworldproblems coming to the big screen. And it baffles me to this date, how it got the good word of mouth in the internet. Buoyed along by an unrelatable lead (who does not let us in to what he is thinking because does not speak) and obnoxious women (the main love interest and the mother were both annoying, maarte women), Ang Nawawala felt lost for me: too contrived in its workings, wandering along scene after scene, accomplish nothing. And come on, in what remote reality does a privileged teen-ager listen to Kundiman and feeling orgasmic about it? It felt flat out fake and contrived to me that when the built-upon ending happened, I blew raspberries and felt this was a big bad joke orchestrated by the hipsters who run the internet.

The only thing this movie has going for it

6. We don't really need a Spiderman reboot

Individually, Maguire and Dunst outperforms Garfield and Stone, but together, the reboot duo outdoes the original pair. Great great chemistry, possibly because they're dating in real life, too? And that's all the reboot has going for it. Everyone else from the original trilogy was more likable than this new one. And seriously, Garfield's Peter Parker is a boring anger-fueled teen who's better off cast in Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Without Ethan Hawke, this movie is as dead as
the pagan gods it is built upon

5. Sinister is a big fat fluke / There is no really scary movie this year

Word was out that Sinister was this year's Insidious. How wrong was I to believe that. Halfway through the movie and I am already bored. It's only Hawke's performance that glues it together. The scares weren't that scary and the story is actually predictable. What a waste of time and what great sadness that we don't have any scary flick this year, at least like in the caliber of Insidious. And don't even try to raise in Cabin The Woods. It's too camp to be really scary.

Not even Eastwood and Adams' performances
can save this tired film

4. Trouble with the Curve sucks big monkey balls

You put drama heavyweights like Adams and Eastwood in one film and boy, am I stirred. Too bad Lorenz's snooze-inducing so-so direction ruins it. And that last scene, how everything fell into place just like that is a big middle finger to Eastwood's works where it's always a heart-breaking ending. Here, everyone reconciles without having to know what exactly happened. It just all got fixed. The last time I saw a movie like this, it was a Filipino movie that adapted another Filipino movie. SMH.

Hanks: What you looking at?
Berry: I'm looking for where the money of the
investors of this film go

3. Great movies like Cloud Atlas and Dredd flopped

Tom Twyker and The Wachowskis were unfortunate that Cloud Atlas was only able to recover about 60% of its production budget, while Miramax's Judge Dredd reboot also failed to cash in. Normally, I wouldn't care if movies are a hit or a miss, but in the case of Cloud Atlas, it felt bad for me because the material was good, the movie was well-made, and I'd give the directors some credit for taking the risk of using a different narrative rather than straight-out adaptation (even if this approach kind of didn't work for me), but maybe it just didn't evoke the same emotional pull the trailers did. So too bad. As for Dredd, I felt Karl Urban was great in it, so as Thirlby. And the critics agree, but it's just bad marketing, failing to create hype for the movie, which I only knew because of Rotten Tomatoes. The bad thing is that, we won't see a sequel to this more or less, so let's hope the DVD picks up and that Miramax reconsiders putting Thirlby and Urban for another go.

I love me some Emily Blunt, but I felt the extended TK
storyline was more of a bust

2. Looper's plot shift

I may be a minority here, but everyone who I watched Looper with felt it was a weak movie, particularly how Rian Johnson felt the need to shift the story to the TK subplot was completely the turn for the boredom. Then when you think about it, the time-travel cause and effect logic is kind of screwed. And, oh, that ending, mighty predictable. 

AND THE MOST DISAPPOINTING MOVIE EVENT FOR ME IS:

This is probably the funniest scene in the movie
after this follows an hour more of slapstick.

1. Kimmy Dora 2 ruined it all

When Kimmy Dora came out some 3 years ago, I felt as if Filipino comedy has found its new spark, making way for smarter comedies like "Here Comes the Bride," that odd film "My Amnesia Girl," whose one liners worked for me as well as the quirky narrative, and last year's Cinemalaya runaway winner, the Eugene Domingo and Chris Martinez quirkball "Ang Babae sa Septic Tank" that actually saw Domingo in a Septic Tank, then later a hospital for treatment of infection. Then what happens next? Vice Ganda and his money vehicle "Praybeyt Benjamin" happened, posing a counter-thesis to the idea that comedy movies need to be smart and need to have a story to tell, not just jokes and slapsticks. So it angers me that Kimmy Dora 2 happened. The posters excited me, this is really happening and I only dreamt of this. My friends knew how much I love Kimmy Dora and how it felt to me as a modern Filipino classic--at once witty and arresting, with Domingo claiming her seat with the comedic greats. Then the trailer came, and I was, "uh oh, that didn't look good. Horror comedy never worked. But I might as well give it a chance. It might be a surprise hit." And it was a surprise hit. A hit on my face that it. Domingo and Martinez ruined everything that the original Kimmy Dora stood for, that is, make a good comedy and make it witty. Put jokes, but don't make the movie itself a joke. And it was a joke. A very bad joke played on us believers that Filipino mainstream and commercial filmmaking will actually improve. With these bad movies easily earning bucks, like MMFF cash-in winner Sisterakas, we can only wish.

In Review: Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay

The Gist

Heartfelt and hits close to home with its theme of fulfillment versus affirmation, Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay is one of those rare offerings that layer the mundane with humor, heartbreak, and some surprise philosophical agenda to full affect.

The Good

• heartfelt and heatbreaking story presented in mockumentary format that works
• humorous in its entirety, makes for a good watch
• the surprise philosophical agenda is subtly expressed, does not preach, but teaches instead

The Bad

• has its dragging moments
• you would often have to read the subtitles as the lead, Cuntapay, has a tendency to speak in garbles

Synopsis

After more than 30 years of work as a professional horror film extra in the Philippine entertainment business, Lilia Cuntapay is getting her big recognition, following a nomination as Best Supporting Actress in the AFTAP Awards (a fictional award giving body) for her role as a pimp in an indie film Sangangdaan (Crossroads). As she goes on to prepare her acceptance speech for an award she has yet to win, Lilia's daily life is presented--from her (over)practicing for an extra role that goes to waste, to her interview with TV Patrol on her nomination and its consequences--giving a picturesque presentation on what it is to give something extra than what is required and to receive so much less than what one gives.

Being Human
On the outside, Lilia Cuntapay is a greying old lady who might strike one as uninteresting, if not scary. She has been the "pagan era" face to horror movie ghouls that haunted us during our childhood. So much was her effectiveness in portraying the horrendous plus her popularity among directors and producers that she became a horror movie staple to the point that her tricks have gone stale and commonplace. What Director Antoinette Jadaone tried to achieve with her film is to reintroduce Lilia Cuntapay to the audience as human, the very same species she sought to frighten on her decades-spanning career, and as actress, too. The idea was neither original nor brilliant, but it is risky and not immediately obvious--a pretty ballsy move for Jadaone.

Cuntapay, for the veteran that she is, is far from being a seasoned actress. I can imagine how it could've been a task had Jadaone set it up to be less raw than a mockumentary, but the treatment meant that Cuntapay had to just be as natural as possible, as effortless as everyday life requires. And with the rawness of a mockumentary lending proper lead ups to emotionally stirring scenes, Six Degrees... achieved the right mix of commonplace, humor, and heart.

The Woman in Black
Like last year's Ang Babae sa Septic Tank that revolved around the concept of creating a film, Six Degrees... used the same idea to a much larger and poignant effect. While Septic Tank struggled to find any story by focusing on the idea of making a story, Six Degrees has a central character that's more real and more affecting than any of the former's. There is something so commercialized about Septic Tank that wasn't present in Six Degrees, and that worked in its favor. Don't get me wrong, if it's just accomplishing objectives, both film did well, but between the two, Six Degrees is more poignant.

It was also surprising how witty Cuntapay is. Her simple musings about being human ("Waiting is part of being human") sheds light on her persona as a veteran horror extra, and her humility to accept simple roles and going the extra mile for these simple roles was a testament to her commitment to her work, albeit at times the testament is more comic than arduous. And all these musings work so well with the quirky narrative.

Six Degrees has a philosophical punch hidden underneath all its quirkiness and wit. And Cuntapay's struggle and lack of recognition was the perfect vehicle for this agenda. Gallaga's commentary on self-fulfillment and Cuntapay's desire to win the fictitious award was a conscious battle between recognition and self-fulfillment, something that everyone may have had a struggle with one time or another in their lives. Why do we all crave for recognition so much Jadaone just nailed that one, especially with Cuntapay's final closing speech where she proclaims her name and the film cuts to black--it was probably one of this year's greatest cinematic highs. Kudos to what Jadaone has achieved with something so simple and yet not obvious.

My verdict:

I hope this film comes out on DVD because people ought to see it.
4.3 out of 5 stars. Passed and highly recommended

In Review: Thy Womb

Author's note: Starting today, I am debuting a new review format because I am a lazy person and because I write too much shit that I shouldn't really write anyways. With this format, I can review more movies because it requires less research for me and really, who's got time for that effort since I won't be typing too many fancy words. So yeah, uhm, here's the movie review of the movie Thy Womb, using the new review format that I thoroughly studied for months (which is true and not a lie because I have time for that).

Directed By: Brillante Mendoza
Stars: Nora Aunor, Bembol Roco, Lovi Poe, Mercedes Cabral

What I Liked
Arresting cinematography, Exposition of Badjao culture

What I Disliked
Aimless narration, Shifty change of dialogue from local dialect to Tagalog reminiscent of shitty Mano Po films, some jerky camera work here and there

Gist
Beautiful but flawed, Thy Womb is a showcase of culture more than a proper drama.


Shaleha (Aunor) and her husband Bangas-An (Roco) lives in poverty among the various Tawi-Tawi islands south of the Philippines. Being infertile, she wasn't able to give her husband a child and the couple had resorted to adopting various children, which were taken from them when the child has grown older. The only solution it seems is for Bangas-An to marry a second wife (permitted by the Islamic laws) who could bear them children. As the couple set out to find a woman for Bangas-An to marry, we are given glimpses of everyday life in the poverty-stricken Tawi-Tawi islands. 

Thy Womb, before making its way to the crapola known as the MMDA Christmas Capitalism Film Festival, was invited in several international film festivals--and won. Its validity as a movie is now put to question by the films it would be competing against in the said filmfest. That said, life is sad and that I hope more films like "Thy Womb" would be shown in this god-awful filmfest in the following years. Rant over.

Upon seeing the film, you would immediately notice that Mendoza took his time on the cinematography. Jerky camera work aside, which I tend to attribute to the fact that this was shot mostly at the sea, Thy Womb shows arresting pictures of the Badjao community's everyday life. Scenes like the two whale sharks flanking their boat and the turtles laying eggs, depict the simple joys the Badjao encounter in their sea-settled life. Mendoza was also generous in peppering his film with depictions of the rich Badjao culture and tradition--something that gives further credence to the film and adds more to its narrative beauty. It's easy to fall in love with Mendoza's depicition of Badjao life and culture, a work that Nat Geo would be envious of.

What I have a problem with is how Mendoza chose to narrate this film. As it is, the story is thin and it's made thinner by the seemingly aimless narration jumping one dragging event to another when beautiful cinematography is not in play. For most of its running time, it's one cut scene after another and that the characters were never allowed to fully interact with each other. There was no tension between the couple (which is perhaps a reflection of how submissive Badjao women are to their husbands) throughout the whole movie, and if there was any, it was buried under the sands of the deep blue Mindanao sea. Mendoza then goes building the conflict for an hour, surprises the audience with a twist: a chance for tension, conflict, intensity, then BAM, Mendoza finishes the film quietly. What a fuckin' disappointment. And while the final scenes were the cinematic high of this film, a crushing look at the protagonist who brought a tragedy to herself, it was too quiet for my liking.

Thing is: 1. It was never revealed explicitly if Bangas-An revealed to Shaleha the twist to this arrangement. 2. The sex scene does not explicitly reveal the answer to number one. Maybe Shaleha was crying because she is giving her husband a woman who can take her husband away, or maybe she is crying because she finally got fucked after like 40 years, or maybe the twist was revealed to her. Maybe I am reading too much into this, but the last scenes were too important for Mendoza to execute them in that manner if there was no follow up to those scenes. It just doesn't fulfill completely that way.

A pet peeve of mine is how Tagalog found itself in Tawi-Tawi, a secluded Philippine island near Sabah, Malaysia. I may not be an expert in Anthropology but I don't believe people there would be fluent in Tagalog or would even choose to speak it when speaking to one another. For crying out loud, Cebu, a highly modernized city, has people in it that doesn't speak Tagalog. How could an island secluded from the rest of the Tagalog speakers with barely any TV in it have people walking around speaking and understanding Tagalog and opting to speak it more than their local dialect? What this made me think was that Shaleha and her husband are migrants to Tawi-Tawi because they are running away from the stressful city life of Manila. But no, they are apparently natives. I mean, come on, people, if you are gonna make a movie like such, with subtitles anyway, don't be lazy and study and use the local dialect throughout, since you're out making a real feel movie anyway. Don't do it the Mano Po way because that's just sloppy filmmaking.

Judgment: Can't recommend it for its rather flimsy storytelling but will recommend it for culture-savvy folks in search of beautiful cinematography and depiction of beautiful culture. 3.4 out of 5.

Top 16: My Fave Movies for 2012

Well, for films, 2012 was a kickass year. This is the year where Nolan's Batman ended and Wheddon's Avengers begins. The Hunger Games also begin this year as with the journey of The Hobbit (which I have not seen yet, sadly, as I opted to skip it). We also have Skyfall and Bourne Legacy both continuing their respective runs while Spider-Man gets its (rather unnecessary) reboot. Gladly, these headliners hit their stride, whereas last year we have the Green Lantern failing miserably at the box office. I'm happy to report none of these big properties got a major BOO from the critics. That said, I think I best leave my movie report for a different post.

I noticed that for this year, lots of 2011 movies spilled into 2012 Philippine cinema showing dates. Movies like "The Muppets," "My Week with Marilyn," "The Descendants," "Hugo," and "Moneyball" only made it into Philippine theatres come March and some were on limited release. Since a lot of these movies were good, they are added in the list but are parenthesized so to separate clearly the "real 2012" movies.

As with usual, the runner-ups:

• Hugo (2011)
• The Descendants (2011)
• Hunger Games
• Bwakaw
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower
• Your Sister's Sister
• Rise of the Guardians
• The Cabin in the Woods
• Moonrise Kingdom
• Magic Mike
• Premium Rush
• Cloud Atlas
• Shame (2011)
• The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo (2011)

16. Frankenweenie

Directed by Tim Burton 

Stars Charlie Tahan, Frank Welker, Winona Ryder

The Offering: Victor's interest in science was put to good use when his pet dog Sparky got ran over during a school activity. Shot entirely in black-and-white, this stop-motion animation by Burton is an adaptation of Mary Shelley's popular Frankenstein.

Admission ticket: Burton may have failed with Dark Shadows but Frankenweenie is amazing. The adaptation of Frankenstein has a heart and visual style to spare and even being made to become child-friendly, Frankenweenie does not lose its humor, heart, and charm thanks largely to a very cute stop-motion model of Sparky who, even after death, is charming as it was even before it passed the sweing machine.

15. Prometheus 

Directed by Ridley Scott

Stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron

The Offering: A science research crew finds leads to our "creators," prompting a mission to start looking for them only to find out darker truths than what they set out for. Set years before the events of the first Alien movie, Prometheus acts as a quasi-sequel to the cult classic.

Admission Ticket: It's my addiction to the genre and to the Alien franchise that got it up here. Plus, I believe it's a really good film that you would like to check more after you've seen the movie because like the first Alien movie, there will be a thousand questions, and this prompting to curiosity is what made it good for me. Obviously Ridley Scott is playing the long game so let's hope he's not scamming us for our hard-earned money.

14. Dredd 3D

Directed by Pete Travis

Stars Karl Urban, Lena Heady, Olivia Thirlby 

The Offering: Karl Urban plays Judge Dredd in a world where the police is setup as the jury, judge, and executioner. He takes along Judge Anderson on what seems like a normal day until they're lockdown in a drug complex. Urban does not reveal his full face, not even once. And oh, Cersei Lannister is here, too!

Admission Ticket: Set up similarly to The Raid: Redemption, Dredd won me over by its tendency to be trippy and the effective battle of wills between Karl Urban's Dredd and Heady's Ma-Ma. There are no fist fights, but Dredd's tendency to make fun of itself and its dark humor it derives from its brutality makes it witty and well-adapted in its own right.

12. Holy Motors

Directed by Leos Carax

Stars Dennis Lavant, Edith Scob, Kylie Minogue

The Offering: Trippy as fuck, Holy Motors is about, uhm, about, eh, it's actually hard to describe what it's about that until the end of the film you'll be asking, "what the fuck did I just see?"

Admission Ticket: Simply by being trippy as fuck. Holy Motors is another triumph of French filmmaking and it managed to stir me and made me think for days, over and over about what the film is actually about, especially that very creepy scene with the cars that took me by surprise. I mean who paid Oscar for these appointments? What are the actors really? Does the Holy Motors company name relate them to uh, God? I need answers!!!

12. Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay

Directed by Antoinette Jadaone

Stars Lilia Cuntapay

The Offering: Mockumentary about a Philippine cinema extra Lilia Cuntapay receiving an award after 30 years of hardwork. Packs an unsuspected philosophical punch about recognition and self-fulfillment.

Admission Ticket: Jadaone's Cinema One Originals effort is one rife with heart. She did to Lilia Cuntapay what Letters of Iwo Jima did to the Japanese soldiers. She humanized a horror icon that haunted most of our childhood. The mockumentary format matched its quirky humor and Jadaone's tendency to show her lead in a comedic light.When humor is turned off, however, Cuntapay goes for the kill with her unique brand of philosophy, or her own brand of human drama that grips.

11. 21 Jump Street
Directed by Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Stars Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Ice Cube

The Offering: Two underachieving cops are entered into the 21 Jump Street program after failing to read the Miranda Rights to the person they're arresting. Just when you think a movie with Channing Tatum is bound to suck, 21 Jump Street proves you wrong.

Admission Ticket: Perhaps the funniest comedy movie this 2012, the bumbling duo Hill and Tatum hasn't been this funny or good in a long time. The jokes are perfectly timed for Jump Street and it can be credited to producing one of 2012's most profound movie quotes "Fuck you, science!" Tatum goes under the influence of the drug they are supposed to stop the spread. It's crazy and stupid fun, something you can watch over and over.

10. Pitch Perfect
Directed by Jason Moore
Stars Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Skylar Astin

The Offering: Bring it On meets Mean Girls meets Glee. Probably not the best way to describe Pitch Perfect. Anna Kendrick plays goth girl who wants to be a music producer but instead becomes an a capella girl that she did not think she'd become.

Admission Ticket: Rebel Wilson. Anyone who says otherwise will be slayed immediately. The numbers are just great and the secret lead Rebel Wilson is given enough opportunity to display her talent. The commentary exchanges between Gail and John are also laugh out loud offensive.There's also a fat heart somewhere in the movie and we are told that if we love each other enough, we will win an a capella contest.

9. Marvel's The Avengers
Directed by Joss Wheddon
Stars Robert Downey Jr, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evnas, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and Samuel L. Jackson

The Offering: 4 years in the making, Marvel's Avengers is (Disney's) Marvel Studio's culmination in everything it learned about making a good superhero movie. 

Admission Ticket: There's just too many to mention here. The great CG for starters, the epic moments of The Avengers fending off the huge floating aliens, Thor teasing Iron Man about using mom's curtains for his cape, The Hulk cleaning the floor with Loki, Thor flooring Iron Man, Iron Man flooring Thor, Jeremy Renner being badass, Scarlett Johansson being flexible, you know where this is heading.

8. Skyfall
Directed by Sam Mendes
Stars a bunch of British people JK! Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem

The Offering: James Bond gets and presumed dead, while he actually enjoys lounging around in some tropical island. Silva, a terrorist goes for M's neck, and pretty much wrecks England in the process, prompting Bond to go out of hiding.

Admission Ticket: Best Bond film ever! Seriously, this is the only Bond film I've seen other than Casino Royale. And since the internet is in agreement that Casino Royale was the best Bond film of all time, then my finding of Skyfall better than Casino Royale as the better Bond film supports my claim that this is the best Bond film ever. Seriously, crazy action plus a great villain in Bardem makes this Bond film one for remembering.

6. The Muppets (2011)
Directed by James Bobin
Stars Jason Segel, Amy Adams, The Muppets

The Offering: The Muppets! Lots of nice songs!

Admission Ticket: The easiest way to me is through my childhood, and watching The Muppets are one of my fondest childhood memories so when this came out, I went crazy. I had to see it. And did it floor me? Amazing job what Disney did to The Muppets after being off TV and theatre for decades. Everything should be bought by Disney! The Muppets has plenty of heart and warm familiarity that would bring back happy childhood memories and bring tears to you because you've missed them so much. I cried like a baby watching this.

6. Wreck-it Ralph
Directed by Rich Moore
Stars Kristen John O' Reilly, Sarah Silverman, lots of video game characters

The Offering: A video game villain is tired of not being appreciated in his job and so he travels to other arcade games to get himself a medal and be treated like the hero Fix-it Felix. The movie features a lot of video game characters and humors.

Admission Ticket: Rich in nostalgia and humor, Wreck-it Ralph is Disney's closest to becoming Disney Pixar. There hasn't been anything as joyful and nostalgic as Wreck-it Ralph (other than The Muppets) in recent memory, that's why it claims the 5th spot. And how cute was the Sugar Rush game and characters? For me, this is the best animated movie of 2012. Hands down.

4. The Artist (2011)
Directed by Michael Hazanavicius
Stars Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, Uggie The Dog

The Offering: An experience more than a film, The Artist goes for the authentic old Hollywood silent movie feel, a ballsy move from director Hazanavicius that actually pays off. 

Admission Ticket: As I've written previously, The Artist is an experience more than a film. Its authentic Silent-movie era feel is ballsy, and the story was simple enough to digest without the need for Aspirin (ahem ahem Holy Motors). It's not mind-blowing, but it's heartwarming and feel-good that makes watching it worth your time with the treatment being worthy of its hype. Plus there's Uggie the Dog. Could've been my fave 2011 film have I seen it in 2011.

4. The Dark Knight Rises
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Stars Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard

The Offering: Nolan's Batman trilogy ends with a Billion dollar bang. Bruce Wayne mourns and becomes a recluse after the death of his love. But a certain burglary leads Bruce Wayne to a man they call Bane who's out to destroy Gotham City.

Admission Ticket: Some will say that The Dark Knight Rises pales in comparison to 2008's The Dark Knight. But let's be fair, Bane is hardly as popular a villain as The Joker. Yet, he worked (though that accent, ugh! Feels like he's in a cooking show)! Plus that twist somewhere near the end and Nolan making us think that someone will be making a Nightwing movie even Gordon-Levitt couldn't even throw a punch without hurting himself.

2. My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Directed by Simon Curtis
Stars Michelle Williams, Kenneth Brannagh, Eddie Redmayne

The Offering: Based on unprovable incidents that happened during Clark's internship on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl, My Week with Marilyn shows a different Monroe to the audience. A captivating showcase for Williams who radiates in her Marilyn Monroe persona.

Admission Ticket: One of Williams' career best, and a look into the life of Marilyn Monroe behind the camera. Williams glows as she literally transfigures into the iconic Marilyn Monroe, being able to mimic Monroe's tiniest inflections and gestures, proving a powerful  camera presence. The movie itself spoke to me and touched me in a sense that it speaks of things that do not last but are good enough to be cherished, yours and could not ever be taken away.

2. Weekend (2011)

Directed by Andrew Haigh
Stars Chris New, Tom Cullen

The Offering: An encounter at a gay club between two men sparks one of the most introspective films I've ever seen. Weekend's foray into the idea of love, homosexual love, life, and leaving transcends its modest budget and chamberpiece setup, earning my respect and admiration.

Admission Ticket: It's not a gay movie. It's a movie about gay people discussing love in general and it sent me weeping for minutes after the film finished. Weekend has intensely moved me and I have definitely been recommending this movie particularly for people who are so disgusted by gay romance. The dialogue in this film is simple, revelatory, powerful. Just like the encounter it portrays, Weekend is one film whose message resonates a lifetime. Beautiful beautiful film.

1. Argo

Directed by Ben Affleck
Stars Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman

The Offering: Based on the Canadian Caper that happened during a tumultuous time in Iran during the 80s, Argo sees Ben Affleck as CIA officer Tony Mendez trying to smuggle American diplomats out of Iran after the American embassy was taken over by the Iranian government.

Admission Ticket: Precision. Tension. Ah, Argo. Without any doubt, Argo is Affleck's best directorial effort to date. So much that it's scary for Affleck to be making a new movie because it may not equal Argo's masterclass in control and build up. It's one of the few movies that kept me literally on the edge of my seat. The actors, bar Affleck, are lovable: Cranston, Arkin, Goodman, and even the Iranian guards at the airport that speak Farsi. Affleck really needs to stop acting his films, though.

How about you? What's your favorite films of 2012

Fave TV Shows 2012: The Drop and the Keep List

2012 felt like a good year for TV series. Perhaps, 2011 was a lot better, having birthed several good series like American Horror Story, Homeland, Revenge, and Once Upon a Time among others. So 2012 is more like the sophomore year for these new series. Something to prove that their initial success ain't a fluke. With 2012 ending House, I've more space for new series to watch and were there lots of good series this year. Below are the list of the series I am keeping and the ones I am tending to drop.

Ongoing

1. The Big Bang Theory (season 6)
It never gets old

Taking off from where it left in its previous season, TBBT is one of the most consistent sitcoms I've seen. And despite the many going-ons in the characters' for the past 6 seasons, the main cast retains their core personalities. The jokes are still always on time and unlike How I Met Your Mother whose only funny asset is Barney Stinson, TBBT managed to have setups and characters that are all humorous and don't grow old. And usually at Season 6, most of the energy have flown out the window, but at TBBT, it just gets better. A definite victory for Chuck Lorre.

My take: Keep watching

Rating: 9.0

2. Modern Family (season 4)

It's growing stale, guys!

This is a bit sad. Modern Family broke into the TV scene consciousness after amassing several nominations at the Primetime Emmys when it started, and for all the right reasons. The first two seasons of Modern Family are indeed a breath of fresh air. But as season 3 started, things started to grow old. The characters started feeling exhausted, having revealed most of their quirks and having resolved those. Sure it keeps itself humorous for most of its episodes, but the "heart" that made Modern Family so great in its first two seasons feels absent in seasons 3 and 4. Maybe it's still there, but the beating is faint already.

My take: Keep, their worse is New Girl's best, so wait and hope for things to improve.

Rating: 7.4

3. Breaking Bad (season 5 part 1)

Sad to see you go, Mr. White

Season 4 is when Walter White finally took the turn for the bad. But Season 5 seals the deal. And in a twist of capitalism turn from AMC and the producers (I'd like to think), the usual 13-episode-per-season agenda has been mutated and spliced into 16 with 2 equal parts shown in summer 2012 and summe 2013. Bummer! It's interesting to know that the writers of Breaking Bad do not care to show flashforwards because the process as to how things ended in that manner is always interesting. And that's what Breaking Bad that, some level, Revenge is trying to emulate to poor effect. My only contention is that this season had to only 8 episodes long. And that season 6 (aka season 5 part 2) had to wait (and kill us waiting) until Summer 2013.

My take: Keep. Honestly can't wait, and please let there be a spin-off movie of sorts.

Rating: 8.8

4. How I Met Your Mother (season 8)

When will this ever end?!

Ted Mosby sucks. Barney Stinson's antics are old news. This series has played all its tricks and still we have not seen the fabled mother. Maybe Ted is simply imagining things? All the fandom that this series has gotten completely eludes my reason after season 5. Like most sitcoms, the first 4 seasons were funny, then it just ended up feeling like it's the Neil Patrick Harris show with  Josh Radnor occasionally throwing his bits of cheesy corny ideals into the mix--and also that all too long confused storytelling. It just doesn't make sense to continue watching until Mosby delivers.

My take: drop. Watch only when there's nothing else better to do.

Rating: 5.3

5. Girls (season 1)

Why 10 episodes only?!!!

I am mad at Lena Dunham's Girls for the simple fact that the returning season is only 10 episodes long. I mean, I understood that Season 1 was a gamble (that I'd like to think has paid off enough to secure at least 13 episodes for season 2). Months after the season ended, the near-real series that cocked itself into mass consciousness thanks to its hipster identity (quite oddly) got confirmed for a 10-episode second season. Unlike its spiritual ancestor, Sex and The City, everyone in Girls is detestable as much as they're likable. And in all these you'd see people you know in real life. These are real people at their youth doing really stupid things and if you're young enough and old enough to know what it's like to be in that quarter life situation, you'd know the power of Dunham's storytelling.
My take: Keep. Can't wait.

Rating: 9.5

6. Homeland (season 2)

Please don't be crappy!

Homeland's first season made history by killing Mad Men's Emmy Best Drama series streak. With hard-hitting performances from Danes and Lewis, both of whom snatched Outstanding Lead Emmies for their individual performances, it's no wonder season one is one of the best series on primetime in 2011. Came 2012 and Homeland came back strong plots and storytelling. Amid some troubled episodes where the writers threw caution to the wind and allowed some logical mishaps to occur, Homeland remained strong and finished with a thought-provoking episode that makes you think how next season is going to progress, because if anything, the finale felt like its writers writing themselves into a corner where the story cannot progress. But this happened an episode ago, and another episode before that, and these people have proven themselves capable of surprising the audience with what's not obvious, often offering a shock that TV don't normally deliver.
My take: Keep. The goods still outweigh the bads and I can't wait how they're going to make Season 3 work.
Rating: 9.4

7. The Walking Dead (season 3)

Can we stop doing this mid-season break thing, AMC?!

Season 2 of The Walking Dead was basically that, dead. For most of the season, there were no zombies, no action. Only dialogue after dialogue that made the story dillydally too long. Season 3 took notes and made itself into a Sunday-night thriller for its followers--offering a change pace and several deaths that, in the same vein as Homeland, makes you question if the writers are writing themselves into a corner. But in a less capable manner, The Walking Dead delivers and is slowly turning into the gold series it is destined to be--just gotta hate the long mid-season breaks that can really be avoided.
My take: Keep. The Walking Dead season 3 is one of the best in TV this 2012-2013 sweeps.
Rating: 9.2

8. New Girl (season 2)

I never thought I could hate Zooey this much

For some reason, I loved the first season. It held the promise that How I Met your Mother had when it started. Then, Bam, second season was a fizzle. It is just not happening. Zooey was more annoying than charming, and her pals are equal levels of douche that you start hating yourself for taking this series to your commute. The jokes are tepid and character development got crappy (ier) in season 2. Sigh, what a waste to Max Greenfield and Deschanel.
My take: Drop. Watch only when there's nothing else to do.
Rating: 3.7

9. Louie (season 3)

Keeps getting weirder

Hmmmm. Hate me, but season 2 trumps season 3 Louie at any given day. Sure, the last 3 episodes are redeeming and those two with Parker Posey were a breath of fresh air, but it's as if Louis CK has started taking himself too seriously (and he has some right to) and stopped the jokes. That's what made season 2 gold: it was funny and weird and surreal and divine all merging into one weirdness that you don't get on TV all the time. Season 3 has depth, but it lacked the divinity and sublimity that season 2 achieved by tackling issues of war, homophobia, and death. Season 3 missed all that, plus it wasn't that funny. It has its moments but not as scathing and indellible as the ones in season 2: the talk Louie had with Pam about him loving her selflessly only to turn her down when she asked her to have a bath with him, or that time when Louie goes out for a date and a homeless guy charged him and had his head decapitated by a truck, or that talk with an evangelist about masturbation--these made Season 2 sublime. And frankly, I find season 3, at times, too weird even for me.
My take: Keep. But watch only when I am prepared to be weirded out.
Rating: 8.4

10. Game of Thrones (season 2)

Hell, yeah. Zombies, bitch!

The most illegally downloaded TV series of 2012, hah! HBO's Game of Thrones is a production perhaps too great for TV. With its raw and real feel, the series has gathered a massive following and a great deal of attention from the international community that only The Walking Dead can rival. It has its flaws, though, I felt the narration could use some speeding up especially since it seems like the third book would need two seasons at this pace of storytelling, something that can wear down the cast and spell problems for the production.
My take: Keep. One of the best things that happened to TV ever.
Rating: 8.8

11. Once Upon a Time (season 2)

That's what happens when you play with magic

When season 2 began, I have great hopes for this series. So the writers, for the first two episodes, treat magic in "our" world with caution and are far from achieving continuity errors. Then it went downhill. Continuously. One continuity error after another, it just wouldn't stop that it seemed ridiculous when the mid-season finale aired with the biggest continuity (or logical) error ever in TV of 2012. Sucks that it started so well and that Season one managed well amid the sappiness and cheesiness of some fairy tale back stories. Season 2, hopefully, is just experiencing some setbacks, though there is no way that final scene in Season 2's mid-season finale could be corrected. It's just beyond words--near Wenn Deramas level--stupid.
My take: Keep. But be ready to drop.
Rating: 6.5

12. Fringe (final season)

Can't we have a good finale?
It's apparent that Fringe ended long time ago to TV executives and it's only us fans who are watching it. Unfortunately, I have to go with the TV execs on this season. It's sappy. I am now unsure whether having it end at Season 4 was the better way to go or was producing Season 5, a one last hurrah that is very apparent as being such, the better idea? Seriously, Fringe was in all its glory at Season 3 when all the build up from the previous 2 seasons were working into the story. It just went downhill when they decided to reboot the timeline at Season 4 and make some details written out just like magic--an excuse for poor writing. And that was extremely annoying so I was glad that the writers made it work in the last episodes. And now, Season 5 removes 80% of familiarity. There are new villains and previous seasons were moot and academic--heck the main cast is trimmed and so were the writers working on it. It's just sad that a final season had to work this way and I can't believe I am quitting Fringe in a way that I never thought I would.

My take: Keep. Since it's only three episodes more. Oh but the horror of watching it destroy itself.
Rating: 5.0

13. Revenge (season 2)

Camp, like revenge, can taste bitter, too

In all fairness to Revenge's Season 1, it was deliciously camp, like a soap opera that never ran out of bitchiness that you start wondering, "how are these people making money?" or "do these people have nothing better to do than frame each other?" It was funny in that manner that you may not want to take it seriously at times and just enjoy the campiness. Then Season 2 had to happen, turning the camp joy fest into an espionage shit crap pie. Though that was bound to happen, either way. You can't expect Revenge to be campy forever and keep itself running to Season 5. It needed to develop its story, but sadly, it took the wrong route. The simple story of avenging Emily Thorne's parents now transforms itself into 24 or Alias where they hunt down the terrorists who aren't very camp, btw. And what's with Nolan's gay-today straight-tomorrow bull shit? Why can't the writers have enough balls to keep the gay dude gay?
My take: Keep. And hope it improves, but I don't have my hopes up.
Rating: 6.8

14. True Blood (season 5)

Now we're talking business

Here's one series that's likely running out of blood (pun intended). Season 5 ran very slowly, having no new mythical creature threats and with episodes that make you ask, "when are they gonna get naked again?" and realize that you're only watching it because of the nudity. Then the season finale happens and your mind is blown. Making you wish season 6 would come sooner. I guess True Blood has its ways like that ever since. I just have to ask how this show is gonna run now that Alan Ball, the showrunner for five seasons, has dropped the ball on this one. Only time can tell, but I am interested how they'd make of Season 6.
My take: Keep. It can only go up from here
Rating: 7.5

Concluded / Dropped

1. House (8 seasons)

This one four seasons ago

When House dropped Cuddy after Season 7, you know it's gonna turn for the bad. But bad was an understatement for the shitstorm that is Season 8. There was barely any medicine in it, more of drama that fails. Sad that it ended, but I think it's for the best. House, like his liver from too much Vicodin, is already failing.
Series rating: 7.0

2. Cougar Town (on ABC, 3 seasons)

Dead as its title
You know a series is going to get canceled when it strays from its title and its network couldn't greenlight a new season properly. Cougar Town has been moved to TBS from ABC, which means the series is still alive. But I don't know, it's kinda sad that the cul-de-sac crew ran out humor mid-way and everyone had to resort to bullying Tom. Sad, especially since I love Busy Phillips.

Series I need to Pick Up Already

1. Mad Men
I know, I know. I really need to. But I couldn't get the courage to start getting the whole 65 seasons before me. Ugh!

2. Treme
The series is ending next season and probably this is the best time to pick it up.

3. Parks and Recreation
Amy Poehler! Unlike its NBC contemporaries, Parks and Recreations still is funny to date. But where do I start? I heard season 1 was horrible and only became better with succeeding seasons. Should I start with Season 2 or 3?

In Review: Skyfall

The Gist

Tense, gripping, and pays for every second of its rather extended two and a half hours running time, Skyfall is the sort of movie that engages and does not lose its grip throughout.

The Good

• Fluid, tense, and engaging storytelling
• The long running time is worth it and mostly ignorable
• Top-notch casting, Bardem shows good acting chops--crafting a memorable antagonist of endearing ambivalence
• Sets a good stage for future Bond films, pays enough nods to the originals it rebooted

The Bad

• Doesn't feel long but could've been shorter
• Nothing much to complain about

Synopsis

During a chase in Turkey to retrieve a stolen hard drive with the confidential list of NATO agents, Bond (Craig) was shot by another MI6 field agent, Eve (Naomie Harris), was never found, and was declared dead. With his presumed death, Bond chose to live a carefree life of drinking and merriment until he saw a news broadcast of a terrorist attack on MI6 that killed 6 agents. Resolute to get to the bottom of this attack, Bond "resurrects" in order to defend England.

Author's Note:

The speed bump I hit for starting this review is that basically I have zero working knowledge of the previous James Bond films--and also I have zero wanting to leave my bed during the long weekend to endeavor this review. Anyhow, the reason for being is that Skyfall is the first Bond film I've seen--eventhough I have a copy of Casino Royale practically begging to be played. All I know is that it was a fault to miss Casino Royale when it had its theatrical run, and that I shouldn't make the same mistake twice. I still haven't figured out the connection in the continuity between Die Another Day and Casino Royale, but I believe Casino Royale was a reboot, which further confuses me because this reboot seems to be set in the past, but the Brosnan Bond films seems to be set in a timeline after Casino Royale. So I don't know, I couldn't find anything on the net that I quit tying it up altogether and just thought that Casino Royale is to the James Bond franchise as the JJ Abrams Star Trek is to Star Trek franchise.

Dressed to Kill
Wherever you look in the internet, Sean Connery is hailed as the greatest "Bond." But I can see, with Skyfall, why there is a buzz that Daniel Craig is reaching the same level of greatness--or at least popularity. For instance, he exudes the same magnetic screen presence that is possessed only by Jeremy Renner, his nearest contemporary--a charm that Connery possesses, too, during his run, only with Craig, this presence is more raw, more intense, more coarse. Craig is equally sexy and possibly edgier than Connery, owing perhaps to his anti-hero flair and his need to use his fist more often than his honestly empty arsenal. Craig's Bond persona in a nutshell is more raw than any of his predecessors'. In short, this is a Bond tailor-made for modern media. Less squeaky clean and more prone to action, one that commits more mistakes than his counterparts--more human than the film would usually allow. And perhaps that's why it worked well. It's a Bond that we, with our slips and lack of polish, can easily relate to.

On the Third Day He Rose Again
Casino Royale was the reboot that the Bond franchise needed. It heralded a fresh start for the then 46 year old franchise that was ready to run out of stories to tell. It was a risky move that paid off. Daniel Craig, back then, was for the most part unknown--his highest grossing film was the critically panned Tomb Raider, and he wasn't the lead role even. Criticism for Craig was large before Casino Royale was screened, and did it shut everyone up when the receipts came back to make Casino Royale the highest-grossing Bond film (as of this writing), with Craig's performance as Bond being critically acclaimed. If anything, Skyfall proved that this success wasn't a fluke and that Craig is here to stay. Skyfall, the third installment in the reboot, the proverbial third day to this resurrection process, seals the fate of the golden series in modern cinema where heroes and villains threaten to tread the same lines. And that's where Skyfall focused: make the heroes and villains close enough to be indistinguishable from another, then dissect them farther from one another with each choice they make.

Going back to the film, Mendes avoided convoluting the storyline and decided to stick with a very discernible central plot that would pit Bond and Silva (Bardem) against one another--a plot that puts Bond's good side to the forefront. Unlike, say, Nolan's work, where you are not welcome to know the plot as it unravels the story, Mendes was very clear with what Silva was trying to accomplish, there were mind games, and you would even see that coming, but the direction of the story was obvious from the beginning. Yet, it still thrills and occasionally surprises.

The film's main antagonist, however, is not as simple and as straightforward that it perhaps might as well have taken a page from Nolan's book. Silva, the blond-haired antagonist, is one of the most interesting villains in recent memory. Bardem, another actor that exudes raw persona, fits perfectly into the shoes of Silva who needs to be in equal measures enigmatic and deranged, cunning and open to being outwit--the type of villain that moviegoers couldn't denounce completely. And well, Bardem pulled it off with flying colors, being equally charming and detestable, making Silva the sort of villain that you would actually care to reach out and understand what's going on inside his head, and think that maybe, maybe he can still be saved, he was once good after all--but he goes for the kill only to reveal what really fuels his intentions. Bardem's performance alone, a picture of a train wreck, is enough reason to watch Skyfall.

Another amazing thing about Skyfall is how it managed to utilize its running time to its full potential that you would forget how long the movie is. Comparing another similarly lengthy action flick Looper to Skyfall, Looper felt completely excruciatingly long, whereas Skyfall leaves no time for its audience to breathe that 2 1/2 hours would feel an hour shorter. The fluid narration is packed with tension from start to finish, barring a few scenes filled with humor and amusing dialog. The action set pieces were executed expertly, save your occasional need to hold your disbelief. I think Sam Mendes did very well and I couldn't find enough fault that I am now nitpicking on the little details in the action set pieces--particularly the chopper fight.

The other actors on the film were also laudable. Dame Judi Dench was an endearing presence that commanded attention and Bond girl or not, Naomie Harris was particularly likeable, especially with her character's reveal in the end. Ben Whishaw's portrayal of this Q is enjoyable, particularly his banters with Bond on their first meeting. Bonus points for the hispter / nerd factor that this Q puts to the table.

Understandably, the score is expected to be typical Bond: excellent. And Skyfall didn't fall short of this expectation. Though, I feel that an opening track by Adele that eats up a good 4 minutes and feels a bit too Saturday morning Super Sentai (Bioman, Maskman, Shaider, anyone?) and quite excessive. I wouldn't say it's not impressive. It is. I just thought that it got too contrived that it felt tacky overall. And the excess time could've made the movie shorter, though, what is 4 minutes if not for listening to Adele--then again, I honestly find the song tacky.

My verdict:

Touted as the best Bond movie ever, contesting Casino Royale for the title, I don't care, I love this film!

4.6 out of 5 stars. Passed and highly recommended (as if it needs recommendation)

In Review: Looper

DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF TIME TRAVEL, THIS REVIEW WILL BE VISIBLE 30 YEARS FROM NOW.

In Review: Argo

The Gist

One of the best films of 2012--if not the best, Argo is intense, thrilling and fulfilling. If anything, Argo further cements the belief that Ben Affleck is one of the most bankable directors of his generation, being an evenly paced movie with a very tight plot and pacing, all while maintaining a certain sense of reality and a storytelling that works.

The Good

• Extremely tight direction and storytelling
• Tense, rewarding, fulfilling cinematic experience
• Perfectly cast, each actor brought something good to the table
• Humorous but does not abandon the non-fiction nature of its source material 

The Bad

• Started off a bit slow
• Minimal use of score, though not really that bad

Synopsis

1980. Iran is in turmoil and a reasonable amount of hate towards America has been cried in the streets by its conservative Shi'ite Muslim residents, asking for the corrupt Shah America has been cradling in its shores. When the riot spilled over to the insides of the American embassy, and its residents seized as hostages by the civilians, 6 diplomats managed to avoid capture and secure a hiding place at the Canadian ambassador's residence, awaiting rescue from America. That or a public execution in streets of Tehran. Tony Mendez (Affleck), a CIA officer, is tasked with the impossible mission of extracting the diplomats. His idea: a sci-fi movie production, heavy in Middle Eastern influence, disguising the 6 diplomats as film crew to secure a flight back to America. But as the plan seem to work as expected, things get interesting when the Iranian insurgents started piecing together the faces of shredded mug shots of the escaped diplomats making their return back home much trickier than expected.

Canadian Caper
Argo is based on the real life events of the declassified CIA Operations that the public dubbed as "Canadian Caper," owing to the fact that the Canadian government participated heavily in safekeeping and smuggling the 6 American diplomats that escaped the siege of the US Embassy in Tehran. The movie adaptation is interspersed with news clips, articles, and good-as-genuine recreation of the 1980 unrest that gives the whole film a real-life feel. Watching Argo felt like witnessing the whole 1980 Iran hostage crisis unfold. The way Affleck stayed faithful to the era, even casting actors that look their real-life counterparts, further fortified the feeling that you are in 1980 and this is the current events you are watching.

Third Time's a Charm
Argo is Affleck's third directorial effort. The first being his sibling-starrer Gone Baby Gone, which co-starred Morgan Freeman and the likable Michelle Monaghan. This was a strong debut for Affleck, garnering a dozen of awards from various critic circles. His second directorial film was another critically lauded film: The Town starring, wait for it, Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner. If anything, the film fortified the belief that Affleck is born to be a director and it further cemented Renner's screen presence. Third time around, Affleck crafted another critically laudable movie starring, wait for it, him. With Argo, people already have set their expectations, what with the things he managed in his previous efforts. It has become natural for people to expect something as good from him and Affleck delivered beyond expectations.

I would admit, the trailer was kind of so-so and didn't manage to build up my interest for Argo, but a quarter into the movie, I am already seeing the sort of build up Affleck is doing and it's the sort of treatment that I love watching. What he accomplished in Argo is something very special, and I hope this is not his career high. He has given me a very good reason to expect more from him in his future work. Affleck has a very specific control of his movies, and Argo was a master class in control and precision. There were no surprises. He made sure that the audience is aware of what is happening, providing cues on how these events would unfold. And because you know what's coming, you don't want them to happen. Tension builds early in Argo, in small repeating cues, that would rear its head full-on in what must have been 2012's most thrilling cinematic chase sequence. There was a crisis and you know it. There were good people in danger of getting publicly executed. These thoughts were repeatedly built upon in Argo so that the climax kept me at the edge of my seat, cursing, cursing, and cursing that no one was answering the phone over at Studio 6, or that the airport door was opening slowly: there was a considerably long amount of time that I was certain that I am ready to have a heart attack because of the mounting tension.

Even if Affleck took some liberty of exaggerating some scenes and inserting one "chase scene" too many, it didn't hinder the movie from feeling real. It was Iran at its most chaotic and Affleck took you back in time. It was, in a sense, a vision further empowered by the media coverage of the Arab Spring, a picture of violence and unrest that happened so recently, relating to the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis set in 1980 became inevitable at 2012.

As for the cast, it was Alan Arkin and John Goodman playing Lester Siegel and John Chambers respectively that won my heart. They were mostly behind the scenes but part of their involvement with the plot made them endearing. They were Mendez's fairy godfathers, helping him pull off an impossible feat. Then there's Clea Duvall and Kerry Bishe playing Cora Lijek and Kathy Stafford that add a layer of feminine vulnerability and strength to the crew trying to escape Tehran. The sort of determination mothers display even if they are aware of their limitations--Duvall and Bishe are both to portray the sort of weakness and strength the situation call for and they pulled it off quite well.

If the movie had any weak spot in the casting department, I'd say it would have to be Ben Affleck himself. I don't know. For some reason, Affleck felt out of place in his own movie. He wasn't particularly bad or unlikable. He just lacked charisma perhaps. But his casting himself didn't really destroy the movie for me. He did good as an actor, even if it felt that for most of the times, he was a plot device, a utility to move the plot, rather than a central character.

The pacing of the movie was very even. It begins a bit slow with a narrative about the conditions of Iran that would trigger the hostage crisis, but things get exciting quite quickly when Operation Argo was given the go signal. From there on, tension mounts quite rapidly, with Affleck dishing out plot thickeners one after another.  One thing I noticed though, Argo's musical score was far from notable. I'm not sure if it's the tension I was feeling while watching the movie, but I don't remember hearing any particular musical score that marked, not that it matters, but it's still a missed chance.

Summing it up, Argo is intense, exciting, and really tense. It does have its humor but it does not stray from its non-fiction source. I couldn't find much fault for it, except perhaps, another actor could've done Tony Mendez. Easily, the Affleck's best and this year's best. It's hard to beat.

My verdict:

Ben Affleck dons a CIA hat, forgets to shave, goes to Iran and piggybacks 6 diplomats home: best movie of the year so far. I'd say

5 out of 5 stars. Passed and highly recommended

In Review: Pitch Perfect

The Gist

Easily crowd-pleasing, Pitch Perfect scrambled to resolve its plot and resorted to taking the formulaic route, but is nevertheless a fun ride filled with entertaining musical numbers and a showcase for its talents, particularly Anna Kendrick and the scene-stealing Rebel Wilson.

The Good

• Outstanding musical numbers that inspire delight
• Rebel Wilson outshines the likable protagonist, Anna Kendrick
• Jokes are more often effective than not

The Bad

• Tends to be a typical feel-good movie with a typical feel-good ending
• Scrambled to resolve its plot rather than having a healthy progression on the transfer of power between Beca and Aubrey

Synopsis

Beca doesn't want to go to college. Instead, she wants to be Los Angeles where she can try her luck on mixing tracks and becoming a music producer. Her father disagrees and asks her to just give a try for one year in college, and if she doesn't like it, he'd send her to LA himself. Beca agrees and unwittingly joins an a capella club when a senior caught her singing Titanium on the shower. Joining the Barden Bellas, an all-girl a capella group from Barden University, Beca is now a part of a quirky a capella gang who's had a shameful time at the previous regionals. And she finds out, college ain't bad at all. That is until the pressure to get to victory starts on giving it to everyone.

Rebel Without a Cause

I have a particular penchant for Rebel Wilson since I've seen her in Bridesmaids last year, and if anything, it's because of her that I watched this movie. Prior to the watching the movie, I've seen her interview over at Ellen and I got a nagging feeling that if I let this week pass and not see Pitch Perfect, I'd be haunted by it for the rest of my life or until it's available on DVD. Thankfully, she did great, probably as good or even better than her work on Bridesmaids. Pitch Perfect gave Rebel Wilson the same scene-stealing exposure that Bridesmaids gave to Melissa McCarthy and I don't see any reason why she won't be the next big comedic thing, perhaps soon starring in her own Judd Apatow produced movie.

Smashed
I don't watch Glee and I'm not very fond of musicals or any movie that involves singing to portray a certain event or scene (the last of this kind that I liked was Chicago, or Muppets if that counts), but with Pitch Perfect, it worked for some reason, maybe because you can skip (fastforward on DVD) the singing and the story would still be in tact, but for some reason, I liked the musical numbers well enough to not get bored by them. There is something in the a capella performances that worked. Or maybe simply because the numbers were not so over the top and that they conform with the overall tone of the movie. It kept pitch, so to speak--demoting the song numbers to practice scenes and competition scenes made it un-cheesy. I in fact look forward to the song numbers in some cases because the numbers were that good.

And speaking of great musical numbers, the one that got me the most is the 30-second audition piece from Beca (Kendrick) where she did  a verse from Lulu and the Lampshades' "You're Gonna Miss Me" with a paper cup as her background instrument. Her lilting voice and the simplicity of the paper cup and clap trick made this scene her brightest moment in the movie that when she finished the verse, you wanna go and cheer for more. And if anything, this number quashed my feeling that Kendrick can't deliver. She actually can sing. I've seen her in a number of films, but I've never liked her this much. I've a conflicted opinion of her in Up in the Air, though I liked her better in 50/50, but I'd say I like her most here, especially paired with Skylar Astin--whom she shares a great on-screen chemistry with.

The film, however, is not without foibles. Like one of its characters, Aubrey (Anna Camp), Pitch Perfect tries to be, well, perfect. Like most feel-good movies, it aims to make everything and everyone in its storyline happy and tends to tackle the supporting cast on a shallow level. I would have loved a bit more depth from the characters, but the movie may not have enough time to do so effectively. For instance, there is some depth in Aubrey's character development, the group's leader and little Ms. Perfect. Her father was a military official, who made sure she's disciplined and such. Glimpses of their background history are absent for the other characters, something that Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) could've benefited from and would've made her more lovable. Instead, we are only allowed access to the present state of some characters, making them less lovable and a tad less relatable.

As the film progresses, the more formulaic side of Pitch Perfect shows. Things get resolved rather easily in the end, rather than a gradual progression from being uptight and traditional into the hip group the Barden Bellas ended up becoming. I don't believe any group would have been able to change its style and manage to knock the crowd out, with what, like a month of preparation at most? And, yes, that final number of the Bellas felt like a mess. I particularly disliked the song choices (2012 and Price Tag), save Simple Minds' "Don't You." I felt the final number is very messy and uncomfortable to watch. They also lost me because I was hearing percussion in the background.

Luckily enough, the good points of Pitch Perfect are strong enough to forgive the weaker points. Other than the very enjoyable song numbers, Rebel Wilson as I mentioned above saves the movie from unhinging itself into a disaster. Her Fat Amy is one of the most confident / clueless / sassy supporting characters in recent film viewing memory--a little less scary eccentric than Bridesmaids' Megan, but no less fluffy. Her comic timing and improvs are spot-on, more often than not saving the movie from being too flat. The interaction between the cast members are also enjoyable to watch, as if something funny is always about to happen when two characters talk about something, Chloe and Aubrey for instance take a capella so seriously that they have to use the prefix "a ca" in some words / expressions (i.e., aca-scuse me?) like a pair of sorority girls with a secret vocabulary.

Overall, I'd be repeating myself in summarizing this movie. The pros outweighs the cons and it's not a perfect movie, just one trying to make everything perfect and delightful. It's a crowd-pleaser, it would behave like one. And in that goal, I think Pitch Perfect achieved its reason for existence.

My verdict:

A laugh out loud time with enjoyable musical numbers and a memorable performance from Fat Amy. It's a crowd-pleaser and if you are not in the best of moods, it would cheer you up for sure. I'd say

3.9 out of 5 stars. Passed and recommended.

Author's Note: Pitch Perfect is a Robinson's Malls exclusive movie.