15 films

Here are 15 movies on top of my head - more like movies I would watch again and again.. and again.

MUST SEE WITHDRAWAL FILM: Trainspotting

MUST SEE ZOMBIE FILM: 28 Days Later


MUST SEE DREAM/REALITY AMBIGUITY FILM: Inception

MUST SEE KOREAN FILM: The Classic

MUST SEE NON-LINEAR FILM: Memento

MUST SEE VAMPIRE FILM: Let the Right One In

MUST SEE TEARJERKER FILM: Grace is Gone

MUST SEE MEMORY ERASURE FILM: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

MUST SEE DISTURBING COMMUNITY FILM: Dogville

MUST SEE SUPERHERO FILM: The Dark Knight

MUST SEE VIOLENT CHILDREN FILM: City of God

MUST SEE DYSTOPIC FUTURE FILM: Children of Men

MUST SEE STAR CROSSED LOVERS FILM: Atonement

MUST SEE POST-WW2 RACISM FILM: American History X

MUST SEE NON-LOVE STORY FILM: (500) Days of Summer

What's in your list?

this is IT!

This turned me into an MJ fan!

Not a Love Story

This is a story of boy meets girl. But you should know up front, this is not a love story.

I'm a sucker for chick flicks.

And (500) Days of Summer has been on "YOU SHOULD WATCH" list since forever.

It's one of those films that, as my friend Abi Fernan wrote, "hits the men hard. Yes, the man gets hurt this time and I find it rare for movies to make men feel so hurt they actually TALK about the movie after and express the sadness that they feel.

And talk about the movie I did.

Obviously, the storyline was non-linear as it would jump from day 300something to day 22. But what I liked most was the French Impressionist treatment of the film. Think Amelie and you'd know what I mean. The play of cinematography and mise-en-scene was just amazing. Sorry, the Maskom in me is something I can't live without.

And the film comes with such a kick-ass soundtrack!

Battle for Terra

Donning 3D glasses, four friends and I watched the premiere of Battle for Terra at the SM Digital Theater last night.

It is very reminiscent of Wall-E as it explores how humanity itself is the reason of its demise - making Earth uninhabitable.

The film is a direct commentary to the effects of pollution, war and industrialization that is rapidly happening all over the globe.

Despite having a good theory behind the movie, the movie did lack depth in story.

Generally, the movie was good and entertaining way of disseminating the possible effects of the continuing abuse to the environment.

Maybe, we could've shown this one waaaaay before Ondoy and Pepeng?

Trouble!

If you could, would you?

Mason (lower right) and Sam (upper right) is in a relationship. An open-relationship. And in case you're wondering what that is, it's the type where in both people involved acknowledge that they love each other and are committed to each other YET they consent the other to sleep with other people. Twisted right? Well, people who are in such, would tell you that it works for them. At least it "prevents" them from "cheating" on each other cause both are aware with what each is doing.

Fling is a modern love story. Mason and Sam's love story. But things did get complicated. What started out as innocent flirting between Sam and her college boyfriend, James (upper left); and Mason and 18-year old Olivia (lower left) just spell disaster. I won't be spilling the beans here cause I think it's worth one and a half hours of your time. It's a lot like Closer with Jude Law, Clive Owen, Julia Roberts and Natalie Portman - all those twisted relationships and sex but with far younger people.

But my point is this, I think the idea of open relationships is not a good thing. How can you say that you love someone when you're out screwing somebody else? How can one not be jealous if the one they love is out with another person? It just reeks trouble from the get go. But then again, if it suits other people, I guess it works for them. But I don't think I'm one to enter such a volatile nature.

And I realized how we treat our relationship with God as an open one. And a one-sided one at that.

UP, up and away!

Watched Disney/Pixar's UP with my growth group last night.

And it's just awesome! Sans the effort to rationalize the amount of realism the film has - talking dogs and multi-colored cross-breed dodo bird and ostrich - the massive amount of scientific inconsistencies just makes the animated feature more fun and entertaining. Talking dogs? You get the picture.

Some scenes are tear-jerkers - at least to the awesome girl two seats away from me - and some have LOLs written all over it.

Carl, Ellie, Russell, Dug and Kevin prove that an adventure despite the inevitable danger along the way, is still an adventure worth taking. And in Carl's case, it was an adventure he had to do with a crossed heart.

As always, the Disney/Pixar partnership delivers an animated film that is not just for kids but for adults with juvenile hearts.

So far, all of the films that they have made that I've watched - Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, WALL-E and Up (I have not watched both Toy Stories and A Bug's Life, I'm a loser that way) - I always get the same feeling after.

I'm not sure what it is, but others call it "heart-warming".

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

This is EPIC!

The Hangover

Funny as hell hahaha although it's not your conventional humor that one would expect from films form the same genre. This one takes a little bit of IQ haha :p and watching it with sabaw friends - Andrew, Minelli, Abi, RJ and Jacq - during a rainy afternoon is just fun :)

Atonement

"I'm very, very sorry for the terrible distress that I've caused you. I am very, very sorry..."

Joe Wright's interpretation of Ian McEwan's literary masterpiece, "Atonement" is one of the best book-to-movie adaptations I have ever seen.

Tim Villarica lent me the book a week ago and I'm still on the 4th chapter, so I decided to download the film instead and read the book later.

A love story that has levels that are not meant to be understood by the likes of the (mis)educated girl on the bus, Atonement explores the story of a little girl's mind that is able to create characters and scenes. Then one is led to a web of a narrative that blurs the line between fiction and reality. A writer who's mind runs on fiction, tears lives apart and ultimately, cursing two hearts beating.

Excellent cinematography, score and acting, that is Atonement.

Watch/read it and let me know what you think. :)

Litterbug: does this say that writers are very good weavers of lies?!?! hahahaha :p

Manila

This promises to be a good film that showcases actors who are not

usually seen in independent movies.

Let's just cross our fingers, hopefully it delivers.

Directed by Adolfo Alix Jr and Raya Martin

This is --

MANILA.