Paris 36 (Faubourg 36)

Paris 36

It's hard to keep track of all the cool French films out in the market these days. It seems that they come out very underground like, and they like it that way. But the production value of the films is very far from underground, much like this movie Paris 36.

Paris 36 (Faubourg 36) is a French film about a small community in Paris during 1936. A man is charged with murder. He is Pigoil, the aging stage manager at Chansonia, a music hall in a Paris faubourg. His confession is a long flashback to New Year's Eve, 1935, when he discovers his wife is unfaithful and Galapiat, the local mobster, closes the music hall. Over the next few months, Pigoil loses custody of his beloved son, Jo-Jo, and must find work. Pigoil and his pals take over the Chansonia as a co-op; Galapiat is momentarily benign. Their star is the young Douce, a girl from near Lille for whom Galapiat lusts. She in turn falls in love with Milou, a local Red. There are ups and downs, but mostly ups - but what about Jo-Jo and what about the murder?

This movie is a fun watch. Beautiful music, amazing shots of Paris in the winter time, and beautiful singing. There is much laughter and much sadness throughout this film, and its a great ride for your emotions. It was truly a splendid French film to watch.

The movie is appropriate expect for a quick boob scene. Though the movie is pg-13, there is no swearing or anything like that. Just a random boob scene that wasn't really needed. Other than that, its a harmless movie that is fun to watch. Catchy tunes.

Victory (1981) Great Soccer Flick

Victory (1981)

Have you ever seen or heard of this movie? I ran across it accidently when I typed in the word “soccer” on Amazon, and came across it on the 3^rd or 4^th page. It was on sale for really cheap, and I read that Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine and Pele were in it, so I thought it couldn’t hurt by buying it. Trust me, it didn’t hurt one bit. I actually feel way cool for having this movie in my DVD collection from now on and forever.

Directed by John Houston, who really never did anything to good before his death in 1987, expect Annie, did this movie to express his love for the sport of football (soccer.) Starring once again, the big names of Stallone, Caine and the ambassador of soccer, Pele. The plot of the movie is about Nazi’s trying to prove to Europe that they are better than everyone in everything. In a POW camp, a Nazi officer recognizes the English soccer star Colby (Michael Caine) and talks to him about setting up a friendly soccer match. It soon turns out to be war instead of a friendly soccer match. They end up bringing in prisoners from other camps who can play the game to make it more even, because the Nazi’s decided to put them up against there all star team. Hatch (Stallone), the American, is determined to get on this team any way possible, as he thinks it’s a plan to a perfect escape from this camp and back to America. He ends up as the goalie. The only person who actually makes this team good, is recently captured prisoner from Africa, Luis Fernandez (Pele) who still has some good health in him. Do they win the game against Nazi Germany, or lose and just escape? Its one hell of a movie to watch and find out.

First off, let me say that Pele is a horrible actor. In this movie, they give him barely any lines, and he mostly does amazing ball juggling skills and bicycle kicks to make up for his poor speaking. I have to say though, it was very entertaining to watch. Stallone was actually quite funny in this movie. I really liked him for a change in this movie. Typically I am not a Stallone fan outside Rocky and Rambo, and I like those because they are a bit cheesy. But he is very good and clever in this movie, and reminds me of someone I would want to hang out with. Caine is a bitter old guy as he is in most movies, but this time he is bitter for a reason, and becomes what the war and the POW’s need, a reason to play soccer and forget everything else.

All in all, this movie isn’t superb acting, but it is fun to watch. If you are a soccer fan, I recommend this movie over many other soccer movies. It’s a great watch, with a pretty good plot that draws you in through out the movie. Rent it, or buy it for really cheap on half.com or amazon.com.

World's Greatest Dad

World’s Greatest Dad

I saw this movie thinking it would be something that it wasn’t, and I wasn’t the biggest fan of this film. I thought that the plot was way messed up, and almost disturbing. What was even more disturbing was the fact that Robin Williams was dating a woman that is 25 years younger than him. It was just awkward to see.

Lance Clayton (Robin Williams) is a poetry teacher at a private school and a failed writer. He has a son, who can be easily summed up in a couple of words, a douche bag and a pervert. Lance tries to be the best dad that he can, but his pornography-addicted son wont let him love him at all. No matter what he tries, he can’t be the best dad, an accomplished writer, or even compete with the younger teachers that fight for his younger girlfriends heart, who is also a

teacher. Then all of sudden, tragedy strikes, and Lance’s son Kyle dies while masturbating (gross I know). Embarrassed by this, as any father would be, Lance makes it look like a suicide with a poetic suicide note. That note made it big, and was published. People were begging for more writings from his dead son Kyle, so Lance fakes a journal by him and gets it published as well. He wins the girl, and the fame. The question is, does he keep going with it, blow his cover or get exposed? Either way, it’s a screwy thing.

All in all, I didn’t like this movie and I can’t say I would recommend anyone to see it. First off, at the end of the movie you see Robin William’s dong, and secondly its repulsive the way the son talks about women and pornography. There were some funny parts in the movie, and the plot was good, but Robin Williams should be playing a grandfather rather than a father of a teenager, and he just didn’t have his usual charm in this movie. Bottom line; don’t see this movie, not really worth your time.

Adam

Adam

Have you ever heard of Asperger's Syndrome? Do you know what it is?

For a long time when people have heard the word Autism, or Asperger's Syndrome, it is almost treated like cancer. People think that they are capable of functioning, or even having the basic relationship. The story of Adam cancels out all those factors, and shows that people with Asperger's Syndrome struggle, but are just more open with the child inside.

Starring Hugh Dancy (Confessions of a Shopaholic) as Adam and Rose Bryne (Crazy stalker girl in Wicker Park) as his next-door neighbor and lover named Beth, this movie takes you into their relationship and the ups and downs of it. Adam has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, and people with it therefore show significant difficulties in social interaction, along with stereotypies and other restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development. So people with it in fewer words are too smart for themselves. In this case, Adam knows everything there is to know about telescopes and the technology behind it, and about the universe. Beth, his neighbor is a schoolteacher who is aspiring to be a children’s book writer. They start dating and her father disapproves. Her father is a lawyer, and wants her to marry someone who is successful and has lots of money, and Adam at the current moment is far from that. Beth’s Dad faces criminal charges for illegal business that he did, and when Beth needs comfort the most, Adam isn’t there to give it to her. He gets a great job in California, and is asked to leave Manhattan, and wants Beth to come with him. Does Beth leave with him and marry him? Or does she stay and end the relationship?

This movie was very touching for me. Personally, I know people with Asperger's Syndrome, and I can only imagine how hard it is for them in this world. There were many ups and downs throughout this film. There were times where you wanted to bury your head in your hands because you just wish Adam would say the right thing or would know what to do. There were also times when Adam and Beth’s relationship was going just right and you were very happy about it. Then there were times where there was difficulty in communication and it made it hard to watch Adam express his feelings.

All in all I liked this movie. There was no language in the movie until one scene where Adam and Beth fight, and some swearing is involved. Other than that, this movie is as clean as a whistle. I recommend seeing this movie because it can teach us a lot about people with Asperger's Syndrome, and it gives us a good reality check.

District 9

District 9

It’s not at all what you expect. The trailers are misleading, and it’s a very good thing.

This has to be one of the most original movies about aliens I have seen in a long long time. Let me retract that statement, this is the most original movie about aliens ever! This movie has a lot of hype to it, and it might live up to all of it, but it for sure has the best special effects of any movie this summer. Some parts of the movie were slow, and kept you thinking, “I thought there would be more violence”

Directed by Neill Blomkamp and presented by Peter Jackson (LOTR, King Kong) this movie talks about the life of aliens, or prawns as they are called in the movie, living in Johannesburg, South Africa. Thirty years ago, aliens made first contact with Earth. Humans waited for the hostile attack, or the giant advances in technology. Neither came. Instead, the aliens were refugees, the last survivors of their home world. The creatures were set up in a makeshift home in South Africa's District 9 as the world's nations argued over what to do with them. Now, patience over the alien situation has run out. Control over the aliens has been contracted out to Multi-National United (MNU), a private company uninterested in the aliens' welfare - they will receive tremendous profits if they can make the aliens' awesome weaponry work. So far, they have failed; activation of the weaponry requires alien DNA. The tension between the aliens and the humans comes to a head when an MNU field operative, Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), contracts a mysterious virus that begins changing his DNA. Wikus quickly becomes the most hunted man in the world, as well as the most valuable - he is the key to unlocking the secrets of alien technology. Ostracized and friendless, there is only one place left for him to hide: District 9.

This movie was brilliant in many ways, but it was not perfect. In a way, it almost felt like I was watching a movie about the video game called Halo. The beginning was very funny, dry humor that you would find in most British comedies. Then it went to more serious, to scary, to very sad. It wasn’t an emotional roller coaster, but the mood changed throughout the film. Main character Wikus Van De Merwe played by Sharlto Copley was amazing. Pretty new to the big screen, Copley impressed me very much that I wish he were a million times more famous. It’s hard to explain why he was such a good actor, but the main thing that got me was that you feel in love with him, and there was so much emotion and love in his character. It felt very real watching him.

I would recommend seeing this movie for many reasons. 1. It is hands down the best movie out in theatres currently. 2. It has amazing special and visual effects. 3. It’s not your typical cheesy starship troopers alien type movie. 3. It doesn’t have any of the Wayne’s brothers in it. It was a very funny, sad, and intense movie with good alien gore in it. Not a good date movie, not to romantic at all.

The movie is rated R for violence, and a couple dozen F-words. All of it was in South African accents, so some of it wasn’t understood very clearly, but there was lots of swearing. Not so much that I wanted to walk out or that it ruined the movie for me, but enough for me to step back and say “wow, they didn’t need all those F-bombs in there” Other than the violence and language, the movie is pretty clean and safe.

Funny People

Funny People

What happens when a funny person faces a life threatening illness, his funny friends try to support him and somehow in the end he defies the odds and miraculously heals?

What you have of course is the latest by funny man director/writer/producer/sometimes actor Judd Apatow. For those familiar with 2007’s Knocked Up the recipe remains basically the same, namely three parts comedy, two parts drama, and to finish it off a nice crass comedy shell. No the film doesn’t really leave much to the imagination, no surprise punches here. It’s not shocking that much of the comedy revolves around bodily functions and male genitalia. Seth Rogan is his usual funny but less over-weight of late struggling comic character that serves as the moral glue between the characters floating around in this dilemma.

However what is different about the film is the role played by Adam Sandler which is not his typical comedic shtick(basically every movie he’s ever done with the exception of Punch Drunk Love). Though he plays a fictitious movie superstar and comedian he shows a dark side to offset his comic characteristics. Sandler also provides viewers with an interesting look into the life of a Hollywood star on the brink of death with little to show for all his talent. Another of the uncharacteristic and refreshing characters Apatow provides is that of Jason Schwartzman as the self obsessed douche bag of a roommate to Seth Rogan. Another pleasing role reversal from what we’ve seen from Schwartzman in the past.

Despite the familiarity with the plot Funny People still has its charms. Judd Apatow gives the audience a view from backstage into the life of comedians both large and small. Funny People proves that sometimes people never really change but is that all so bad?