playremix » Movies

Transsiberrianisms

urbanexplorer — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 08:24:40 +0000

I picked up Transsiberian, really anticipating an average run of the mill thriller. What I got is a deep, thoughtful, mysterious story, infused with quiet suspense and beautifully haunting setting. Plus, Ben Kingsley can do no wrong. Along with the brilliant Eduardo Noriega and the electrifying Emily Mortimer, the film takes you to experience angst, lust, alienation all at once. To add, Woody Harrelson impressed me the most with his diligent portrayal of a vulnerable and naive American husband, such a contrast to a lot of characters he played in the past.

The cinematography of the Siberian train ride and the surroundings sets the tone of an almost ghastly and spiritually ominous Russian countryside. An American couple who are on this trip of self discovery and in a mission to fix their marriage, met 2 strangers. One thing led to another, their lives collide into an intense drug trafficking scandal, murder, & roller coaster of cat and mouse chase with an ex KGB corrupt cop played by Kingsley. As bizarre as the movie story line may seem, the events are threaded seamlessly and filmed hauntingly, that it makes you hunger for more. A definite thumbs up.

Down Alice Goes… The Rabbit Hole

urbanexplorer — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 07:41:57 +0000

One of the most anticipated movie of 2010 is also one of the most dissapointing. Surely, Tim Burton’s dark and mysterious touch on the classic tale is nothing but spectacular in vision, but the movie lack a connection to engage the audience consistently. At times, it was downright odd and over the top weird. Just because you make a movie weird and goth, does not mean it’s a winner. Truly, the biggest star of the movie (Johnny Depp) was overshadowed by the ferociously brilliant Helena Bonham Carter who plays the Red Queen and the newcomer Alice (Mia Wasikowska); a rather unexpected and disappointing to millions of Johnny Depp fans who were so uber excited to see him in action. To me, his character lacks credibility and at times reminded me of Depp’s take of Willy Wonka with an inconsistent Scottish accent. On top of it all, it was a 2D movie distributed as a 3D, a cheap shot at creating the magic that is Avatar.

http://adisney.go.com/disneypictures/aliceinwonderland/

The Enchantment of Shutter Island

urbanexplorer — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 06:25:54 +0000

Shutter Island is riveting with polished acting by Oscar’s golden boy- Leonardo Dicaprio and noir inspired plotline filled with intricate twists and turns. It is simply a breathtaking interpretation of a mid century detective/cat and mouse game, only as viewers, we’re left to wonder who is the cat and who is the mouse. The cinematography and visually haunting kaleidoscope of hallucinations by the lead character only enhance the overall chilling experience of Shutter Island that intensifies and lurks to surprise. After watching it the first time, you’ll want to re-watch it again and again to look for clues and further explore the movie’s themes; only a testament of the genius of Scorcese at turning a what seemingly a cheeky genre of film into a complex and haunting tale gets everyone talking.

http://www.shutterisland.com/