Shanghai Kiss (2007)

Director: Kern Konwiser, David Ren
Writer: David Ren
Cast: Ken Leung, Hayden Panettiere, Kelly Hu, Joel Moore
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Shanghai Kiss starts out charming and quite funny. Hayden nails the high school girl role and Ken Leung's character isn't yet annoying enough to lose my interest. Later on Ren and Konwiser lose the grip a little, but any Hayden fan will at least get enough out of this on her smaller role.

Lium (Leung) is a 28 year old lost Asian-American looking for acting work in L.A. after dropping out of school. He avoids all stereotypes, looking to be threatened like the American he feels like. The only girl he can bare to stay close to sober for more than a couple of hours, is a 16 year old high school girl (Panettiere).

His life takes a turn as his grandmother dies in Shanghai, leaving her house to him in her will. Going back to his roots to sell the house, he soon finds another look at life. It's never getting profound or exciting, but there are some really good scenes in this one. Most of them quite early in the movie, but at least you'll have some good memories in those later parts that might annoy quite a few out there.

Jonah Hex (2010)

Director: Jimmy Hayward
Writer: Screenplay: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor Story: William Farmer, Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor Characters: John Albano, Tony Dezuniga
Cast: Josh Brolin, Megan Fox, John Malkovich
Genre: Action, Western, Drama, Thriller, Steampunk

Jonah Hex is steampunk based on a graphic novel, and it doesn't really work on any level. Fox is as usually only valid as eye candy, Brolin and Malkovich haven't got much to work with and clocking in at around 70 minutes, you really got to wonder how bad whatever was left at the editing room was.

I never care about any of the characters, the action sequences sucks and there's no tension to speak of. A couple of very brief moments along with Fox' body, makes it barely avoid the bottom rating.

The Yellow Handkerchief (2008)

Director: Udayan Prasad
Writer: Story: Pete Hamill Screenplay: Erin Dignam
Cast: William Hurt, Kristen Stewart, Eddie Redmayne, Maria Bello
Genre: Drama, Romance

The Yellow Handkerchief takes us on the road with three strangers heading the same way. There's no secret Maria Bello and Kristen Stewart was my main reasons for checking out this movie, especially as Hurt never impressed me that much even at his best days back when Children of a Lesser God and Body Heat came out. Eddie Redmayne is the final main character, and I haven't seen him before (as I'm aware of at least).

Brett (Hurt) is a recently released ex-con, while Martine (Stewart) and Gordy (Redmayne) are more than anything looking for them self. We follow these three strangers, their interactions and their inner struggles. Bello's character are involved through Brett's memory, so for once Bello alone is hardly a good enough reason to watch a movie.

Director Prasad gets this only partly right, as there's both a lack in atmosphere and well paced progress. Neither in the cast show them self from their best side, but as far as I can tell they really haven't got that much to work with here. Another problem is the predictability, without managing to add enough of an emotional connection with any character. Then it feels a little too cliched and forgettable.

Knight and Day (2010)

Director: James Mangold
Writer: Patrick O'Neill
Cast: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard
Genre: Action, Comedy, Thriller, Adventure

Knight and Day is over the top, and never apologize for it. Sadly such movies have to balance really well on the edge of the knife to work well as entertaining, and this one falls on the edge well to often. Diaz works as eye candy, but the rest of her role is quite lame. Cruise doesn't work as the cool guy, and it's close to becoming a parody of his Ethan Hunt role from the Mission Impossible trilogy.

The stunts and action sequences aren't only unbelievable, but they ain't entertaining either. The story acting like a plot, is pretty much the high school edition of any film class and then it can never be great. Taken as it is, its still not worse than almost watchable, but I rather watch the Charlie Angels' sequel than watching this all over again, even if my ratings doesn't back up that statement.

The Cooler (2003)

Director: Wayne Kramer
Writer: Wayne Kramer, Frank Hannah
Cast: William H. Macy, Maria Bello, Alec Baldwin, Ron Livingston
Genre: Drama, Romance

The Cooler starts out with some great old fashioned Vegas feel, nicely shown through the main characters The Cooler (Macy), The Waitress (Bello) and The Man (Baldwin). While Baldwin ain't exactly on my favorite list, Bello sure is and I got the utmost respect for Macy. Add the knowledge of Kramer's interesting Running Scared (even if that one actually came out later), and I had expectations for this one.

Making Vegas movies used to be pretty normal back in the days, and not for no reason. The mafia ties, the violence and the dreams and hopes of Vegas. It got it all, but as soon as all those stories are told, it gets increasingly harder to make interesting movies in the same scenery. Kramer succeeds, at least for quite a while. Macy is brilliant as The Cooler, Bello does another great performance molded quite like her role in Payback and even Baldwin manage to bring some depth into the cold hearted Vegas casino boss.


There's several choices you can see coming a mile away in this one, and that's obviously dragging it down, but the atmosphere, the life and especially the characters of Macy and Bello makes this still well worth your time. Add a couple of classic Vegas moments and the nostalgia vs corporation, and you are getting closer to a home run than most movies out of this town ever was.

Kramer has a quite similar look at real people's passion the way I also see it, without taking sexual scenes or nudity into the Hollywood filter, and proves it here as well. The same could later be seen in the before mentioned Running Scared as well, and I salute him for those choices. I'll have to check out Crossing Over (2009) soon, because the combination of this movie and Running Scared makes me real interested in watching more from Kramer. And you'll very soon find Maria Bello in my "There's Something About..."-section. The more I see from her, the less I understand of why we haven't seen a lot more from her throughout the years. That woman got enormous talent, she's not a prude and she manage to give depth to characters in a way more female actresses should learn to do.

Wild Target (2010)

Director: Jonathan Lynn
Writer: Original Screenplay: Pierre Salvadori Screenplay: Lucinda Coxon
Cast: Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, Rubert Grint, Rubert Everett, Eileen Atkins
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Action, Thriller

Wild Target is a remake of Pierre Salvadori's 1993 Cible émouvante. I haven't seen the french original, but as I've been told Emily Blunt is enough of a reason to watch any movie I had to check this out. Victor (Nighy) is a very skilled assassin, but haven't much of a social life besides his mother. Now hired to kill the young and bold thief Rose (Blunt), faith steps in and throw two new people into his life. Rose herself and Tony (Grint), a young man intervening when a second set of assassins steps in. Tony seems like the perfect apprentice to take over the family business as top notch hit-men, and we get to be part of the ride as Victor teaches Tony, while protecting Rose as her P.I. bodyguard.

Sadly most of the movie feels a little to slow, both in action sequences and character evolving, and the funny parts ain't funny enough. Blunt and Nighy still makes it interesting enough to stick through it, but it feels like another of those movies with more quality left in the editing room or even at the set.

4.3.2.1 (2010)

Director: Noel Clarke, Mark Davis
Writer: Noel Clarke
Cast: Emma Roberts, Noel Clarke, Ophelia Lovibond, Tamsin Egerton, Shanika Warren-Markland
Genre: Crime, Thriller

4.3.2.1 is short for our story about 4 girl, 3 days, spanning 2 cities and 1 chance. As usual with Noel Clarke (2006's Kidulthood and 2008's Adulthood), he's responsible for directing, writing and acting, even if he got directing help from Davis this time around.

We get thrown into a multistory, following each of our four female friends during three days that will stay with them for ever. In parts it works well, but not everything stays equally interesting, not every story manages to stay clear of overused cliches and there's some really annoying scenes that doesn't quite manage to fit the characters as he builds them.

Clarke doesn't quite get there, and some of his touches feels like a lot we've seen too often before, but at least it never gets boring. Add in some very nice cameos, and a good cast in general, and there's something to build upon for both directors and the actresses in question. That Emma Roberts felt oddly familiar throughout, and is almost enough of a reason to revisit Valentine's Day (as it's the only place I've seen her before as far as I know) and figure out how big her roles was there. Almost, as I'd rather watch Scott Pilgrim again rather than being tortured by another Ashton-butchered character in a movie I've already seen.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

Director: Edgar Wright
Writer: Graphic Novels: Bryan Lee O'Malley Screenplay: Edgar Wright, Michael Bacall
Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anna Kendrick, Allison Pill, Kieran Culkin, Mark Webber, Johnny Simmons, Ellen Wong, Brie Larson, Aubrey Plaza,
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Action, Adventure

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World had a 8.2 IMDB-rating when I started watching, so needless to say I had expectations of being entertained. Add Cera, Kendrick and director Wright (Hot Fuzz) into the mix, and we should be on track to something well worth its runtime. We might as well mention my geeky side, as the rumored references should silence that part of me still screaming for more "Veronica Mars" episodes.

And what an opening. The first 15-20 seconds lifted my expectations, as the Universal logo accompanied by Zelda (video game) music opened the movie. Sadly, to me that was still the highlight as the end credits reminded me of all those assets wasted on something I honestly found quite boring.

I've grown increasingly tired by Cera the last couple of years, and once again he managed to sink his cred with me. Adding to the misery was the main female characters mis-cast, as both had very little to stand up against minor roles from Kendrick and Pill. The cameo's this movie also lives on with many viewers, did very little to raise my eyebrows.

I might just be too stupid to catch the references, too humorless to laugh of the silliness and too little of a geek to grasp Scott Pilgrim, but once again: I was actually bored way too often during this movie.

Dick (1999)

Director: Andrew Fleming
Writer: Andrew Fleming, Sheryl Longin
Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Williams, Dan Hedaya
Genre: Comedy

Dick takes us back to the 70's, and tells the fictive story of how Watergate really happened. The real reason Nixon had to leave office was two high school girls, and we follow their story. It's a comedy molded in satire, but far from as interesting as Saved!, Mean Girls, But I'm a Cheerleader and those likes. While not as funny, or deep for that matter, as the before mentioned ones, Dick offers both Dunst, Williams and Hadeya plenty of scenes worth shaking. Both females have obviously done better elsewhere later in their careers, but they're portrayed interestingly out of type casted-character here. That counts for something. Especially while being a fan of either actress, as the case is with my view at Dunst.

Oh, btw: The soundtrack is really well done. They've almost hit every scene spot on with that one,and that's an accomplishment.

Winter's Bone (2010)

Director: Debra Granik
Writer: Novel: Daniel Woodrell Screenplay: Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Dale Dickey
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Winter's Bone follows in the mold of movies like Frozen River, Snow Angels and all the way back to the Coen brothers success Fargo. We got the normal protagonist with real problems, we got an excellent backdrop in her landscape and we got a story which never turns to unnecessary action sequences or cliches to get its point to the center of the frame. In fact. This is quite possibly one of the very few movies ever made that tells a story very similar to a couple of the stories I would be telling if I made movies. I can easily recognize acquaintances in Ree Dolly, Teardrop and the rest of the characters.

Jennifer Lawrence takes on the part as Ree, and does so with a stunning performance. I can't wait to see more of this actress. Neither her, nor the director, feed the overused need of making Ree go all in, and the subtle ways of our protagonist is a main contribution to both why we stay interested and to why the movie works so well. Add very good performances from both John Hawkes (as Teardrop) and Dale Dickey (as Mareb), and you got yourself a solid glimpse of their lives portrayed excellent. The rest of the characters are also done well, and each of them brings us closer to the community's rules and order, as we take the walk with Ree on the wild side of society. Director and co-adapter Debra Granik have done brilliantly in making their society a main character in the story delivered, without it ever feeling forced or patronizing.

Winter's Bone is one of those movies I could go on and on about, but the important message to get out there is this: Highly recommended, a must see, film making the way film making used to portray life more than fantasies and fairy tales.

Grown Ups (2010)

Director: Dennis Dugan
Writer: Adam Sandler, Fred Wolf
Cast: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Salma Hayek, Maria Bello
Genre: Comedy

Grown Ups have Sandler on both writing and as the main character in an acting ensemble, and it delivers as weakly as Sandler can at his worst. The humor isn't at all funny, the characters are cliched and the same jokes are constantly being beaten to death by repetition.

When having both Hayek and Bella in major supporting roles, can't salvage a movie from the bottom score.... it really says a lot as I enjoy both of them in general.

Inside I'm Dancing (2004)

Director: Damien O'Donnell
Writer: Story: Christian O'Reilly Screenplay: Jeffrey Caine
Cast: Steven Robertson, James McAvoy, Romola Garai
Genre: Drama, Comedy

Inside I'm Dancing takes us to a residential home for disabled in Dublin, where cerebral palsy Michael (Robertson) lives with his nearly unintelligible speech and no contact with the outside world. With the arrival of the kinetic Rory (McAvoy) things soon start to change as Rory understands Michael without any gadgets.

The trio of McAvoy, Robertson and Garai are close to perfect casting, as they all deliver multi-leveled performances. We get a heartwarming story told without stepping into the most common mistakes done in these kind of movies, and then we'll easily excuse the way they use Rory to repeat everything Michael says, even when they're alone (to make us understand him). It's pretty much the only way we are able to understand him, so its an obvious choice for the story.

Jumper (2008)

Director: Doug Liman
Writer: Novel: Steven Gould Screenplay: David S. Goyer, Jim Uhls, Simon Kinberg
Cast: Hayden Christensen, Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Lane, Michael Rooker
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Adventure, Thriller

Jumper starts out with half an idea, and quickly turns into a hopeless mess. Add the fact Hayden Christensen now stars among the likes of Aaron Eckhart, Gerard Butler and Ashton Kutcher on my disliked actors list, Jumper is very quickly gaining ground as one of the worst movie I've recently seen.

The pace is more annoying than refreshing for the story, the Sci-Fi elements are not well enough put together and the ancient fight between the Jumpers and their hunters are less than satisfyingly deep. Movies like these might gain some entertaining level on their action sequences, but in this case they are equally weak as the rest.

Charlie Bartlett (2007)

Director: Jon Poll
Writer: Gustin Nash
Cast: Anton Yelchin, Kat Dennings, Robert Downey Jr., Hope Davis, Tyler Hilton
Genre: Comedy, Drama

Charlie Bartlett isn't as funny as they aim for, it's not as deep as the makers probably like to portray them self and most of all it's not as interesting as it might have been. Charlie's a rich kid with issues, kicked out of every private school around he now get to try the public school system. As his points of view doesn't exactly fit in, he has to play on his own strengths. Soon enough he is the students psychiatrist, prescribing and providing pills, giving advice at love life and so on.


The movie got its moments, but overall it's rather boring and uninspired. Dennings and Downey Jr. delivers as support, Yelchin isn's much of a lead and Davis and Hilton are at his level.

Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991)

Director: Simon Wincer
Writer: Don Michael Paul
Cast: Mickey Rourke, Don Johnson, Chelsea Field, Daniel Baldwin,
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man is one of those childhood movies I remember as cool and funny, and as most of them it can't live up to the memories. Both Johnson and Rourke are less cool than remembered, the story is bordering on cliched and it lacks in a few other departments as well.

Still. At least they wasn't afraid to let some good guys hit the dust, a couple of the build up scenes are quite cool and entertaining and some of the one-liners still work almost twenty years later. It's popcorn the way it was served in the late 80's and the early 90's, and as such it still works remarkably well. At least well enough, I'll not keep on pointing towards its weaker sides.

It's better to be dead and cool than alive and uncool.

Ondine (2009)

Director: Neil Jordan
Writer: Neil Jordan
Cast: Colin Farrell, Alicja Bachleda, Alison Barry, Stephen Rea
Genre: Drama, Romance

Ondine is the story of an Irish fisherman (Farrell) who one day saves a woman (Bachleda) in his fishing net, and believes her to be a mermaid. The entire story is both predictable and flawed, and the only thing saving it from disaster is the acting and the heart.

I'll admit my respect for Farrell as an actor has steadily grown the past years, advancing from his early pretty boy status, towards a more accomplished actor. Sadly he still lacks a lot in the department for choosing roles. Bachleda and Barry makes for a couple of interesting new acquaintances, but writer/director Jordan doesn't manage to give us the small town feel he so desperately would have needed for this to work better.