The Rooftop versus the ground

One of the most surprising movies of the Fantasia Film Festival was “The Rooftop” by Jay Chou. You don’t really know what to expect from a Mandarin musical (especially if it’s your first time seeing one), but in my case, I was blown away. Maybe it’s because of how crazy I get when someone mentions “The West Side Story” or “Moulin Rouge”, and this piece was indeed reminiscent of these two.

The movie is set in a fantasy world named Galillee City. This imaginary city is divided into two communities, one on the Rooftop and the other on the ground. As one might expect one has more power than the other, and we do find ourselves in a story of class divide. The Rooftop inhabitants are poor but happy people, that look at life from a very positive perspective. While the ground population has the power, but suffers the vicissitudes of rampant corruption as the rich mainly inhabit it. The Rooftop has a view of a billboard featuring a rising star named Starling, who is also the dream girl of our main protagonist Wax, played by the director himself Jay Chou. By chance Wax gets to meet his dream girl and befriend her, but their love precipitates a battle over power and money, which gradually turns into an all-out feud between the Rooftop and the ground.

By now it should have become obvious that the plot resembles The West Side Story’s. While the mise-en-scene and cinematography, as well as the camera movements provide you with beautiful imagery similar to the one on display in Moulin Rouge.

This beautiful musical has something to offer for any type of viewer. Action, music, drama and romance meet in an exhilarating clash of color and lights. A strong recommendation, sober or less.

The Unforgettable 'Imaginaerum

The anticipation for this movie stirred a commotion in me usually only brought forth by the name of Tim Burton. It helped that the movie features music from the seventh album of the same name by the Finnish symphonic metal group Nightwish. Their songs, which were mostly instrumental, guided the movie as vignettes. As though each new song was a new act, from the intro piece “Find your own Story” to the closing song “From G to E minor” the music, much to the benefit of Nightwish fans, played a significant role. Although this concept in itself was already attractive, the story should never be overlooked.

The movie tells the story of 75 year old Thomas Whiteman, a former songwriter and musician suffering from dementia. As he falls into a coma, his distanced daughter Gem has to decide whether or not to pull the plug. It is during Whiteman’s coma that we are taken on a ride into his subconscious, where we meet a 10-year-old orphan who ends up befriending a mysterious snowman named Mr. White. Throughout his journey, the boy comes to meet different people and objects, eventually growing into Mr. Whiteman as he relentlessly advances towards the rediscovery of his derelict subconscious.

There is always something we cannot let go of in life, something that haunts us and takes a part of us. This movie shows us through imaginary symbols how complex that something can be. Gradually this illusory journey reveals to us Mr. Whiteman’s life and consciousness, while in the real world, Gem, with the help of her father’s former band mate Ann, tries to makes sense of the type of man her father was.

Parallelisms, symbolism, metaphors, psychoanalysis and artistry guide the plot of the movie, which makes it more complex and worthwhile, as the story immediately requires your full attention.

“Imaginaerum” captures the essence of life and its hardships, especially when it comes to relationships with our family members, friends or loved ones. We all have key moments that haunt us for the rest of our lives and that have engraved themselves in our subconscious. Some of us manage to overcome them while others may never know they’re there. “Traumdeutung” (dream interpretation) in the Freudian sense finds itself within the medium of film in a piece of art. For Freud, dreams, in the simple manner of speaking, incorporate intimate messages from a deeper psychological state and allow the undertaking of a journey to self-awareness through the decoding of your own dream. It would not be far from the truth to say that this is exactly the kind of journey we witness in “Imaginaerum.”

It is regrettable that this movie has not received more exposure. I will not be surprised if it becomes one of the hidden jewels of cinema. It is a journey that encourages everyone to explore inwardly and meet the shores of their own consciousness.

"Do you believe in soulmates? I do. I like the concept that there is somebody who is supposed to be with you forever."

“Café de Flore” is the first movie in a very long time that made it in my most favorite movies ever and I am sure mine is not the only list it made it on.

It’s quiet surprising that this movie was not nominated for the Oscar or Gold Globes in the Foreign Movie category. It truly should have been on there, though it probably still would not have won over “A Seperation”, due to other reasons than the quality of the movie.

The movie was directed by cinema de Quebec  director Jean-Marc Vallée, who became a household name in cinema with his 2005 movie C.R.A.Z.Y that earned him several awards and a Worldwide recognition. In 2009 he directed the more renown movie “The Young Victoria” staring Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend. “Youg Victoria” won an Oscar for “Best Achievement in Costume Design” and was nominated for two others. This put Vallée on a successful path and on the road to a future Oscar. “Café de Flore” does not fall short however. It earned several awards such as “The Best Canadian Feature” at the Canadian Awards and several other awards in different departments at the Genie Awards.

“Cafe de Flore” stars Vanessa Paradis, Kevin Parent and Helene Florent. It is about a man Antoin Godin who goes through a though divorce with his wife Carole for the sake of his true soulmate Rose and the love of a mother Jaquline for her down syndrome son Laurent. The two stories are set in different time periods and in different cities. Antoin Godin and Carole’s life is set in present time Montreal and the story of mother Jacquelin and her sons Laurent is set in Paris in the 1960s. Throughout the whole movie one asks itself what the connection between the two stories is and it is truly certain that there must be one; otherwise it just does not make any sense. Especially because, the dreams of the recently divorced Carole, feature the Down syndrome child Laurent from the 60s. There is a part at the very beginning of the movie where Antoin Godin who is a DJ travels to Europe for concerts and passes by a group of Down syndrome people at the airport of Montreal. The reason this particular scene catches one’s attention is because the camera follows Antoin and the group until they are out of sight prolonging this scene which at first glance seems unnecessary, but is actually the first connection between the two stories and a preparation for the outcome of the story. Since I do not want to spoil the meaning of the movie and the wonderful way the movie connects these stories that seem so far apart from one another I cannot go into detail. However the movie keeps the audience guessing until the end and does it in an extra ordinary way.

The switch between the different stories is amazing and the scenery as well as the cinematography are just mesmerizing and therefore turn the movie into an aesthetic joy. Most of the time the use of color and light makes the two stories seem like a dream and the camera is as ever as artistic as a camera movements should be.

Therefore this movie does not only offer an amazing script/story but also an artistic direction and great acting, especially Vanessa Paradise transformed in this movie.

PLEASE DO NOT READ FROM HERE ON IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE

This movie is a wonderful take on reincarnation. Though it never claims that Rose is the reincarnation of little Laurent’s girlfriends and Antoin the reincarnated version of Antoin as well as Carole the reincarnation of Jaquline, but it does cope them together by declaring that Jaquline did not give them the chance to love each other in the previous life and therefore the two soulmates who have not had a shot at their love in their previous life will have one know.

Here the audience gts to decide whether they want to perceive this fact as mere coincidence that is convenient because it helps Carole through the crises or whether they really are reincarnations from the people im the story of the 60s. 

YOU CAN CONTINUE TO READ FROM HERE

The movie from the feel and the looks of it is just magical and has a touch of fairy tale making us dream about a love that is written in the stars, but also realistic making us see that to love is simply beautiful, but one has to be ready to let go when the time comes and its in the interest of the person we love. The following anonymous quote sums it up: "If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it's yours forever. If it doesn't, it wasn't meant to be."

The name of the movie which is inspired by the same titled song by British DJ Matthew Herbert, is present in the movie as are many other famous titles by Pink Floyd, The Cure and the likes, making music another essential element in the movie not only because the protagonist himself is a DJ.

If you seek an aesthetic and peculiar sort of love story that keeps you guessing until the very end, this movie is a must see. If you love great music in combination with an aesthetic movie “Café de Flore” is a must see.

I rate this movie 9/10

154 (this so does not give an idea of how many movies you have watched. I want movies for a living so of course I don't have a life :D, but I love my life the way it is, BOOKS, MOVIES AND ART)

154 (Most of the movies are mainstream though)

SUPPOSEDLY if you’ve seen over 70 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you’ve seen. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list and paste this on your Blog. Then, put x’s next to the films you’ve seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click…

        (x) A Cinderella Story
        (x) Another Cinderella Story
        () Step Up
        () Step Up 2
        () High School Musical
        () High School Musical 2
        ( ) High School Musical 3
        () Hannah Montana Movie
        (x) Enchanted
        (x) Sydney White
        Total: 4
        (x) She’s The Man
        (x) Licensed to Wed
        (x) The Break-Up
        (x) 13 going on 30
        (x) 27 Dresses
        (x) P.S I Love You
        (x) Made of Honor
        (x) What Happens in Vegas
        (x) Get Smart
        (x) The Princess Bride
        Total: 14

        ( ) Camp Rock
        (x) Wild Child
        (x) Ella Enchanted
        (x) The Princess Diaries
        (x) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
        (x) 50 First Dates
        () The Lizzie McGuire Movie
        ( ) Hotel For Dogs
        (x) Just Married
        (x) Freaky Friday
        Total: 21
        (x) The Hot Chick
        () Sleepover
        (x) Confessions Of a Shopaholic
        (x) Twilight
        () Nancy Drew
        (x) The Devil Wears Prada
        (x) No Reservations
        (x) Perfect Man
        (x) Australia
        (x ) Never Been Kissed
        Total: 29

        Comedy/Humour:
        (x) Yes Man
        (x) Bedtime Stories
        () The Pink Panther
        ( ) The Pink Panther 2
        (x) Marley & Me
        ( ) Cheetah Girls
        ( ) Cheetah Girls 2
        () Bratz
        () Haunted Mansion
        () Paul Blart Mall Cop
        Total: 32

           (x) The 40-Year-Old Virgin
        (x) Night in the Museum
        () Night in the Museum 2
        (x) Evan Almighty
        (x) Bruce Almighty
        (x) White Chicks
        (x) Neverending Story
        () Meet the Spartans
        (x) Meet the Parents
        (x) Meet the Fockers
        Total: 40
        (x) Scream
        (x) Scream 2
        ( ) Scream 3
        (x) Scary Movie
        (x) Scary Movie 2
        (x) Scary Movie 3
        () Scary Movie 4
        (x) American Pie
        (x) American Pie 2
        ( ) American Pie Band Camp 
        Total: 47

        Adventures:
        (x) Harry Potter 1: The Sorcerer’s Stone
        (x) Harry Potter 2: The Secret Chamber
        (x) Harry Potter 3: Prisoner of Azkaban
        (x) Harry Potter 4: Goblet of Fire
        (x) Harry Potter 5: Order of the Phoenix
        (x) Harry Potter 6: Half-Blood Prince
        (x) Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
        (x) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
        ( x) Lord of the Rings: Return Of the King
        (x) Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
        (x) Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian
        Total: 58

        (x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
        (x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
        (x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
        (x) Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull
        (x) The Mummy
        (x) The Mummy 2
        () The Mummy 3
        (x) Journey to the Centre of Earth
        ( ) City of Ember
        (x) Finding Neverland
        Total: 66
        (x) Pirates of the Caribbean
        (x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest
        (x) Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End
        (x) X-Men
        (x) X-2
        (x) X-3
        (x) Spider-Man
        (x) Spider-Man 2
        () Spider Man 3
        (x) King Kong
        Total: 75
         (x) Hellboy
        (x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
        (x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
        (x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
        (x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
        (x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
        (x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
        () Underdog
        (x) A Series Of Unfortunate Events
        (x) Batman: The Dark Knight
        Total: 84
        Action/Thriller:
        (x) The Matrix
        (x) The Matrix Reloaded
        ( ) The Matrix Revolution
        (x) Terminator
        (x) Terminator 2
        (x) Terminator 3
        (x) Ocean’s Eleven
        (x) Ocean’s Twelve
        () Ocean’s Thirteen
        () Casino Royale 007
        Total: 91
        (x) Bourne Identity
        (x) Bourne Supremacy
        (x) Underworld
        (x) Butterfly Effect
        ( ) Death Note
        ( ) Death Note 2
        ( ) Death Note 3: L Change the world
        (x) Resident Evil 1
        (x) Resident Evil 2
        (x) I, Robot
        Total: 98
        (x) Rush Hour
        (x) Rush Hour 2
        () Rush Hour 3
        (x) Mission Impossible 1
        (x) Mission Impossible 2
        ( ) Mission Impossible 3
        (x) I Am Legend
        ( ) Predator I
        ( ) Predator II
        (x) Signs
        Total: 104
        Horror:
        (x) Saw
        (x) Saw II
        (x) Saw III
        (x) Saw IV
        (x) Saw V
        (x) The Grinch (…how is this horror?)
        () Texas Chainsaw Massacre
        ( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
        (x) The Ring
        () The Ring 2
        Total: 111

        ( ) Final Destination 2
        ( ) Final Destination 3
        (x) Ghost Ship
        (x) From Hell
        ( ) Child’s Play
        () Seed of Chucky
        ( ) Bride of Chucky
        (x) Gothika
        (x) Nightmare on Elm Street
        Total: 115
        (x) The Grudge
        ( ) The Grudge 2
        ( ) The Haunted Apartment
        ( ) Siren
        (x) Silent Hill
        (x) The Mask
        () Son Of The Mask
        ( ) Alone
        (x) Omen
        (x) House Of Wax 
        Total: 120

        (x) The Eye
        ( ) The Eye 2
        ( ) Shutter
        () When a Stranger calls
        () The Fog
        (x) The Orphanage
        ( ) The Skulls
        (x) Cruel Intentions
        ( ) Cruel Intentions 2
        ( ) House of 1000 Corpses
        Total: 123
        Cartoons:
        () Lilo & Stitch
        (x) Ice Age
        ( x) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
        (x) Madagascar
        (x) Madagascar 2
        (x) Kung Fu Panda
        (x) Bolt
        (x) Wall-E
        (x) Monsters Inc
        (x) Shark Tale
        Total: 132
        (x) Shrek
        (x) Shrek 2
        (x) Shrek 3
        (x) Finding Nemo
        (x) ET
        ( x) Cars
        (x) Ratatouille
        (x) Toy Story
        (x) Toy Story 2
        (x) The Incredibles
        Total:142

        Inspirational:
        (x) Little Miss Sunshine
        (x) I Am Sam
        (x) The Day After Tomorrow
        (x) Coach Carter
        (x) The Last Dance
        () To Kill A Mockingbird
        ( ) Conrack
        ( ) Midnight Sun
        (x) Little Black Book
        (x) Hotel Rwanda
        Total: 149

         Classics:
        (x) Ten Things I Hate About You
        (x) Titanic
        (x) Romeo & Juliet
        (x) Frankenstein
        (x) A Midsummer Night’s Dream
       Total: 154

A Fairy Tale on Mars

Has anyone read the review of “John Carter” in The Guardian? Well if yes, don’t buy in to it if no don’t read it. I don’ t know what the most of you think when it comes to movie reviews, but I do not like direct statements like, the movie was a bore or the likes, I like more hidden comments like A. O. Scott at the New York Times gives. It gives the whole review a more neutral perspective and does not make it seem like it is trying to talk the movie down. Reviews should give the viewer an idea about the movie and not make them want to run away from it. IMDB viewers have voted the movie “John Carter” up to 7.0 points (March 12), which is surprising to me, since I would have guessed lower after most of the negative reviews I’ve read in papers about the movie. As long as a movie doesn’t suck and is really really bad, try to argument between what was good and what not and then make a statement on how you liked the movie, fact is a lot of people would probably go and see a bad movie that has one plus point and that being for example that the movie was entertaining despite all.

I am not a huge fan of 3D movies, they give me a headache for whatever reason, and I do strongly believe that 80% of the 3D movies do not have to be in 3D, but are only made that way to draw in more viewers. If things come flying at the audience and the likes 3D is just awesome, but just the pretense of making the movie more real on 3D is a lie. Most of the 3D movies are actually more enjoyable on 2D, you are not wearing annoying glasses and do not get a headache from watching the movie. The same goes for “John Carter”. The movie would have been way more enjoyable in 2D rather than 3D, however I still made it through and found it entertaining. It will never become one of my favorite movies, but at least I had fun watching it, which for example I can’t say about Avatar, which I did not enjoy and still to this day believe it to be a marketing success than anything else like all other James Cameron movies. I say this knowing that most of you will not agree with it. If you ask me what I liked about "John Carter" I’d have to say that from time to time it just feels good to watch a cheesy movie, where you know from the start on what will happend, but that still leaves room for a little surprise.

The effects in the movie were pretty good, the plot, the pre-history of John Carter and all that follows made sense, the love part was obvious and cheesy, yet fun to watch the clichés.

The movie is based on the book “The Princess of Mars” by Edgar Rice Burroughs and the screenplay stayed as true as possible to the book. This book was first published 100 years back.

It does not go as deep as maybe the Star Wars movies and Star Trek movies, since love is obviously the center of attention in this one, though the movie does include at least 2 other sub-plots. But I honestly don’t get what critics were expecting. I do not need to be a critic at New York Times or Washington Post to know beforehand that this movie will not be THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER MADE. Why? Well first it’s a big budget blockbuster movie and second it was produced by Disney, take a look at the dog with its cuteness factor an obvious Disney trademark, we have a princess, love and a happy ending, what else would you expect. When I go into a Disney movie that is what I expect and got that from this movie: ENTERTAINMENT, FUN, A DIFFRENT TYP OF FAIRY TALE ON THE PLANET MARS. Next thing we know critics will start criticizing "Aladdin" and "Mickey Mouse" as well.

If you seek entertainment a movie that does not make you think hard and leaves you happy at the end, go and watch it. If you seek a movie that gives you something to think about and has a deeper meaning in it then hardly any blockbuster is for you, but I would recommend you do watch foreign movies or independent movies, for example “This Must Be The Place”, would be more suitable there.

My rating for "John Carter" is 6.5

"For a few immortals to live, many people must die. "

Are you still sleeping? You better wake up, you have no time, because time in this case is really money, which equals life, so if you want to live you better value it, every second counts.
"In Time" directed and written by Andrew Niccol, stars Cillian Murphy (as Raymond Leon), Justin Timberlake (Will Salas), Amanda Seyfried (as Sylvia Weis), Olivia Wild (as Rachel Salas) and Jonny Galecki (as Borel). The movie is set in the future 2161 to be exact, where everyone stops aging at 25 and stays that way for the rest of their lives, but the rest of their life might at times be shorter than they've expected, because time in this future is literary money and without that time=money you truly do not survive, because once they turn 25 they only have one more year to live unless they earn more years, this of course enable some to become immortals, but like in our society today also then many have to suffer for a few to enjoy everything life has to offer. Now rich become richer and poor poorer, in the future according to "In Time", rich become immortal and poor mortal.
Our hero is Will Salas a 28 year old factory worker who lives together with his 50 year old mother Rachel. One day during a visit at a bar, Will meets 105 year old Henry Hamilton who has a lot of time left on his clock and flaunts it around a bar in the ghettos. Will senses that Henry will get into trouble by showing off his time and advises him to stop it and leave. But who seeks trouble finds it, such is the case with Henry who is confronted by a gang that call themselves Minutemen. They steal other people's time by force. Will helps Henry out of the situation not realizing that Henry wanted to die. After the rescue Henry tells Will that there is enough time for everyone to live, but its being used by the rich to become immortal and mighty. This set of information triggers Will's actions, right after he receives all the time Henry's got left except the last 5 minutes, with which Henry goes and commits suicide. Will leaves the Ghetto and moves to a richer area New Greenwich, from here on the chase between the Timekeepers (police forces) starts, because they believe that Will has stolen that time. In order to have a save ticket out of the situation he kidnaps Sylvia the daughter of a very wealthy businessman and begins his so to speak Robin Hood quest, at the same time falls in love with Sylvia and she with him, including the Stockholm syndrome as a further sub-plot into the drama. From here on starts the typical blockbuster action movie that we are used to, embedded with all its clichés, explosions, fight scenes, chasing, dramatic love, drama and of course or maybe happy ending.
The only thing important and interesting in this movie is the whole idea it is based on and the open criticism on capitalism, economy and its message that each and every moment is valuable, with or without the time, after all in our present time we do not know what will happen tomorrow so we might as well enjoy today and in the future, according to In Time, we truly value each moment, because the next one might certainly be the last one, but even there we worry because even in the last minutes we worry and seek a way to prolong our lives.
It is no surprise that the movie revolves around social criticism. The one characteristics that all Andrew Niccol movies share is their criticism towards our society and where we are heading, towards a dystopian future that we certainly do not want to be a part of, but are doing nothing against and stand there and accept it, even though we do not agree with it. Just think Gattaca (1997/writer and director), The Truman Show (1998/writer), Lord of War (2005/writer and director) or The Terminal (2004/writer), all of these movies have one thing in common they taunt us. Why? We sit in the theater and see the things that are wrong, we agree with the things that are wrong and watch the hero save the day in awe, but none of us really act out once the movie is done and tries to be the hero by speaking out, so yes all this movies criticize our society rightly and they also taunt us, because we still only sit and watch things happen not interfering, after all why should we? Let others care about those matters right? Until its to late.
At times blockbusters are not simply existent for our sole amusement, they have messages embedded in them some better than the others, but when it comes to Andrew Niccol movies the criticisms are accurate and he puts them out there to send a message. This is the only reason why Andrew Niccol might be one of my favorite director and writer out there in mainstream Hollywood, because he tries to convey the right message during the right time by means of popular culture. All his movies match the worries of the time they are written in, for example "The Truman Show",  was an accurate theme (and still is) during the end of the 90s because of the uprise of CCTV's and the likes, or "Lord of War", which highlights arms trafficking by the international arms industry and is close in contact with the happenings in the Middle East around the time of its release; After all arms industries need war and uproar to sell weapons, peace is not an option.
So to sum up, even though "In Time" is a cheese blockbuster movie, with a touch of Robin Hood meets Brave New World and capitalism versus communism, capitalism being the bad guy (immortals) and communism or if it makes you feel better socialism being the good guy (Will Salas as the future Robin Hood and Sylvia Weis as the future Marian), the points Niccol makes are truly something to think about and take away from a 109 minute of popular cultural entertainment. Last but not least think about the memorable quote from the movie "For a few immortals to live, many must die", does it ring a bell? If so start doing something, if you don't agree with it.