Donnie Darko (2001)

     After having watched some alternative movies, especially for my style, I would like to see a film that gives you food for thought, and it's kind of different. Donnie Darko, is supposed to be a science fiction, drama and mysterious movie. The story goes like this:
     Darko family consists of five members, the father Eddie Darko, played by Holmes Osborne (Affliction, Anchorman), mother Rose Darko, played by Mary McDonnell (Independence Day), and their three children, Elizabeth, Donnie and Samantha Darko, respectively played by Maggie Gyllenhaal (Secretary), Jake Gyllenhaal (Prince of Percia, Brokeback Mountain, Zodiac) and Daveigh Chase(The Ring), which was 11 years old back then. And if you asked yourself, if Maggie and Jake are siblings in real life the answer is yes!
     Donnie, is not what we call a normal teenager. He is seeing a psychologist mainly because of his troubled past, he is having behaviour problems, sleepwalks and he is also taking pills. On 2 November of 1988, he should have died when an aircraft engine fell to his bedroom but he was not here, because he was sleepwalking.The strange fact is that the engine was found but not the plane, so something weird happened. The reason he was sleepwalking was because his "friend", a huge rabbit, named Frank, that only he can see it, told him to wake up. Then, it told him that the world will be destroyed in 28 days 6 hours 42 minutes and 12 seconds.
     From this point and on, Frank keeps coming in Donnie's mind, and Donnie start doing some weird things, that are impossible to be done from a simple human.
     Because this is a very complicated movie, and since my friends decided theat we will write spoiler free reviews, I will not say something else. But be ready to hear about time travelling, targent universe and how god "control" us, our futures being predefined and things that will blow your mind.

     I liked many things in this movie. First of all the plot. It's so complicated and weird that you must watch the movie again or do some extra research in order to understand what happened. It reminded me Inception for some reason! I read a youtube comment,  saying that "I love the movies that are hard to understand, but everybody understands it in his own way". This is an opinion too, and pretty accurate. What is more, I liked the messages the film wants to give you (or at least what I think it wants to give you). Some pick-up lines where just perfect and make you wonder if they are real at all. I memorized one sentence saying that "Every living creature on earth dies alone". It may sounds depressing, but it is true in one way. The end, was not something I expected, but if you watch the movie again it makes sence, since Donnie has 28 days, and he is following a plan.  Also, music was beautifully combined with the pictures, especially the last song (Mad World - Gary Jules), and the two first (The Killing Moon by Echo & The Bunnymen and Head over Heels by Tears for Feas). Last but not least, Jake Gyllenhaal acting was pretty good, as we can see him being much more mature in the end of the movie. The whole casting crew was great. There were some well-know artists like Drew Barrymore (I know her from Charlie's Angels)and Jena Malone (ok, she is not so well-known, but one day she may be one!).

     The only thing I disliked in this movie, was...nothing! Maybe the fact that nothing was explained, but this was part of the movie I believe. It was a unique movie and I think it's a must to watch. It will make you wonder a lot. I will try to watch more films from Richard Kelly (director) in the future because I loved this one. I will rate it with 4/5 stars! Almost perfect!

First post here as well, so possible mistakes are forgivable.
     

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

"You can't try anyone for what they did 35 years ago"
or can you? 

For all the fans of the Stieg Larsson's trilogy, known as the "Millenium Series", this was a must-see film since the announcement of its direction by David Fincher. (you know him for "Fight club", "Zodiac", "The curious case of Bemjamin Burton" ect- if you don't check him!) The screenplay is based on the first novel of the trilogy, with the original title in Swedish: "Man som hatar kvinnor" (Men that hate women). The main character of the novels is named after Lisbeth, a girl that Larsson witnessed being gang-raped in his teens.

Let's have a non-spoiler review of the film. Lisbeth Salan, is a young-asocial- woman, with a very bizarre character, a hacker with an amazing brain for investigation and a peculiar appearance, all surrounded by some kind of a dark past. Mikael Blomkvist, is a publisher and journalist for the political magazine Millenium, a clever man that loses a libel case involving claims about a billionaire. They meet each other-the sexual attraction towards them is not obvious in the beginning- when H. Vagner, the retired CEO of the Vagner Corporation, asks Blomkvist to write his family history, and make a research for the weird loss of his niece Hariet about 40 years ago. Vagners seem to be a family full of secrets. When Blokmkvits asks for an assistant Lisbeth is hired in order to help him arrest a killer of women. So Salan and Blomkvits enter deeply and deeply during the movie, into a labyrinth of obsessions, sexual crimes, fear and murders, where everybody could be guilty.

Fincher captures the dark intensity of the story with such natural way; naked skins, pure blood, quick shots, "normal" bahavior that you almost forget you are watching an american mainstream movie. It reminded me of the good european cinema, if I'm allowed to say that.

But it's not only about the direction. Rooney Mara-who I must say is my new favourite-embodies the stark and haunted Lisbeth with a seducing performance. It is amazing how she manages to make you love this dark character, and feel each and every emotion-fear,anger,pain,love-that is reflected in her face. Now when it comes to Daniel Craig (Mikael Blomkvist) although I cannot but admire his british strict look, I have to say that he reminded me a lot of a"James Bont's film", even if he is more like a normal person and he is the one to be saved in this film. In general, the couple is more than satisfying, with the tribute going to Mrs Mara.

This movie is not a love story-oh no the boy does not get the girl..for now- nor a drama nor a thriller. It is all these and much more. It is a puzzle for the complexity of human soul and seems to scream to your face that "you must not judge a book by its cover".  Brutal, yet captivating, certainly a 4,5/5 for me.

(plus, the cover version of  Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" is great)

xx

P.S. Sorry for any possible mistake in my English! It is my first post and oh I'm a bit anxious!

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Directed by Wes Anderson

Starring : Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson

Comedy ~ Drama

The Tenenbaum siblings, three child prodigies. Chas, portrayed by Ben Stiller, used to be a maths and business genius. Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow), who is adopted -as Royal keeps pointing out- an excellent playwright and Richie (Luke Wilson) an aspiring artist and a tennis prodigy.
However, after their father, Royal (Gene Hackman) abandons them during their teenage years, they are lead to failure and great disappointment.

22 years later though, after Royal gets kicked out of the hotel he is staying in, he tries to move back in with his wife, Etheline (Anjelica Huston) by announcing that he is suffering by a terminal illness. All three children (well, adults now) come back home in order to be with their father for the last time and.. things happen. I think I've said enough.


So that's not a really good summary of the film, but this is my first post, so I think it is forgivable. I also apologise for my English. It may not be top-notch, but I am trying my best. Anyway. I shall just go on about the film. Sorry about this.

Having only seen Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox and the trailer for his new film, Moonrise Kingdom, which is coming out in 2012, I decided to watch some of his films and started with this one in particular as it had caught my eye in the past, but for some reason hadn't wanted to see it as I thought it would just be a stupid comedy. However, I can assure you that The Royal Tenenbaums is far from that. Filled with a great soundtrack, featuring several well-known songs, it is a truly beautiful film full of details. I'm sure next time I see it, when I will already know what's going on, I'll be able to appreciate it a bit more, as each scene is just wonderfully put together.

Even though this film is classified as a comedy, it's not your every-day comedy. Don't expect to see it and just burst out laughing all the time. Well, at least I don't think you will. It's one of those films with a darker kind of comedy that makes you smile and feel good and laugh once in a while. However, it is not entirely happy as most characters, well all of them actually, have some serious issues.



Okay, I don't know what else to write right now, so I'll just stop. I don't know if I'll be rating films yet, but if yes, I'm giving it 4 stars.

(★ - awful, ★★ - bad, ★★★ - okay, ★★★★ - great, ★★★★★ - masterpiece)