[9.50/10] Black Swan (2010)

Black Swan (2010)

Brief review: After the phenomenal "Requiem for a Dream", and the visually-striking "The Fountain", Darren Aronofsky brings us yet another twistedly-genius masterpiece, this time revolving around a professional ballet dancer, Nina, who is dealing with the pressures of playing The Swan Queen in her companies production of Swan Lake. Though melodramatic "Black Swan" has a truly macabre nature, as it grows darker and darker as the story progresses, leading to a shocking and dramatic finale, that will have you thinking long after the credits roll. "Black Swan" is a haunting, surreal and mesmerizing experience that leaves audiences with many questions and debatable discussions, about what is real and what is imaginary. It fascinates with dazzling execution, specific visual style, flawless camera work, and a sharp and intentionally lurid cinematography that creates an additional sense of fear in the viewer. All this accompanied with a thoroughly striking classical music score by Tchaikovsky. With her haunting and beautifully-disturbing portrayal of Nina, a repressed and sexually-confused ballerina obsessed with perfection, Natalie Portman delivers not only the best female performance of 2010, but the performance of her career. She's intense, yet delicate. Determined, yet vulnerable. Innocent, yet lustful. A perfectionist, yet flawed. She's simply sensational! Mila Kunis also gives an outstanding and very complex performance as Nina's rival, Lily, and Vincent Cassel has incredible screen presence as the seductive manipulator and ballet director, Thomas. Winona Ryder is brilliant as the neurotic former ballet star, Beth, but it's Barbara Hershey that delivers the best supporting performance as the quietly frightening mother.

Overall summary: Remarkable in its terrifying brilliance and captivating in its ballet-like gracefulness, "Black Swan" is the most sophisticated and beautifully-schizophrenic horror film of the year, if not the decade.

[9.50/10] Tangled [3D] (2010)

Tangled [3D] (2010)

Walt Disney Animation Studios put a cool and modern twist on Brothers Grimm's popular fairy tale, "Rapunzel", to bring their 50th animated feature - "Tangled" - a lavish, vivid and thoroughly delightful 3D animation, that's not only wildly imaginative and visually-spectacular, but also super-engaging, hugely engrossing and laugh-out-loud hilarious! While the story is in some ways familiar, "Tangled" never fails to entertain and wow the audience with its creativity. It follows Flynn Rider, a rouge who chooses an isolated tower for his latest hideout, having no idea, that the tower is already occupied by a princess, named Rapunzel, who was kidnapped as an infant. Rapunzel, who can use her magical hair to heal, sees the devil-may-care bandit as her escape from the tower and a chance at a life of adventure – one that may reunite her with her long-lost parents and restore her royal heritage. There are not enough superlatives to express how magnificently enjoyable this 3D animated feature is. "Tangled" has everything and even more - it's joyous, exciting, action-packed and consistently entertaining, as its story moves along at a nicely brisk pace, without a single dull moment. It's full of wit, clever jokes and great tongue-in-cheek humor. In fact, "Tangled" is so funny and enjoyable, it will make you laugh every five minutes. Furthermore, "Tangled" is filled with likable and engaging characters. Rapunzel's is sympathetically naive, yet she has a true fighting spirit and great sense of humor. Plus, she's adventurous, funny and as sweet as a lollipop. Oh, and her hair's shiny, sparkly and breathtakingly beautiful! Flynn Ryder is no less interesting or likable, and he's overloaded with charm, energy and joy. However, it's Pascal, the chameleon, and Maximus, the horse, that absolutely steal the show! Pascal has to be the cutest and most adorable animated character ever, while Maximus is so hysterically funny, you can't help but laugh hard every time he's on screen. Mother Gothel is the villain, and she's narcissistic and selfish, yet delightfully evilicious. The voice acting by Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi and all the other actors involved is incredible and completely satisfying. Visuals-wise, this Disney flick is nothing short of mind-blowing, as the animation is slickly-crafted, rich in detail and stunningly colorful. "Tangled" is filled with bright and striking imagery, and its CGI scenery, in particular, is so lush and jaw-droppingly gorgeous, you won't believe your eyes. The 'flying lanterns' sequence deserves a special mention, as it's very impressive and truly eye-candy. "Tangled"'s brilliant and flawlessly-executed 3D effects make for an even more atmospheric and magical experience. Also, the songs are meaningful, emotional, moving and beautifully-performed, bringing back memories of Disney classics like "The Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin". Filled with smart and witty dialogues, hilarious characters, eye-popping visuals and stunning 3D effects, "Tangled" is, arguably, the best non-Pixar Disney film, since their 1991 masterpiece, "Beauty and the Beast", and, hands down, the funniest animated flick I've seen in my life. Absolutely glorious!

• My Rating: 9.50/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 88% (7.6/10)
• IMDb: 8.3/10

[9.25/10] Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

Based on Bryan Lee O'Malley's comic book of the same name, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" follows the eponymous slacker rocker on his colorful quest to defeat his dream girl's seven evil ex-boyfriends. Combining an original story, quirky characters, stunning CGIs and spectacular fight sequences, Edgar Wright's "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" provides a unique and extraordinary cinematic experience you won't soon forget. This is not only the first film in history that looks like an actual video game, but it's the first that perfectly blends comedy, romance, martial arts, fantasy and musical in one. "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World"' may not has the most substantial plot ever, but its certainly has an extremely witty and hilarious script that delicately burlesques pretty much everything in a very unique sort of way, and most importantly, the film never takes itself seriously. However, film's main strengths are its flashy visuals, cartoonish special effects and stylishly-choreographed action, accompanied by Wright's incredibly inventive editing style. The editing really needs a special mention, as it's absolutely sensational, as is Edgar Wright's creative direction, that seems inspired by the genius films of Chinese filmmaker, Stephen Chow. The martial arts choreography is absolutely first-rate and the fight scenes are impressively well-handled and deliciously over-the-top and an absolute joy to watch. The cast also delivers. Michael Cera brings his quirky charm to the title character, plus he does an amazing job of performing the Matrix-like action choreography - Michael shows some surprisingly good fight skills and it seems impressively effortless for him. Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the eccentric-haired Ramona Flowers is as captivating as she's charming, Culkin is hilarious as Pilgrimd's gay roommate, Chris Evans is meant for his role as the action star and evil ex, Lucas Lee, and Ellen Wong as the sensitive Knives Chau brings most of the laughs. All the evil ex-es are delightfully villainous and well-portrayed, with Jason Schwartzman as Gideon Graves and Brandon Routh as Todd Ingram being the standouts. Totally refreshing, wildly imaginative, extremely funny, and spectacularly dazzling, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" is the most original and visually-unique movie since Stephen Chow's cartoonish martial arts extravaganza, "Kung Fu Hustle", and almost like nothing you have seen before.

• My Rating: 9.25/10 [Rating Updated on Feb 6, 2011]
• Rotten Tomatoes: 81% (7.5/10)
• IMDb: 8.0/10

[9.75/10] The Social Network (2010)

The Social Network (2010)

David Fincher’s new exceptional film “The Social Network” is about the creation of Facebook, an internet website that’s less than a decade old and already worth 25 billion dollars. On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history, but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications. I'll start with Wow! I mean... WOW! “The Social Network” was so superbly-crafted, so ingeniously impressive and so overwhelmingly entertaining, I could barely blink while watching this remarkable film. Led by furious dialogues full of wit, interesting characters, brisk pacing and clever editing, there is so much to like about this film even from the beginning. As "The Social Network" progresses, the story becomes more and more gripping and absorbing, the dialogues - wittier, smarter and funnier, and the intrigue escalates tremendously, as the story goes far beyond just the creation of Facebook, moving into deeper ground. "The Social Network" also perfectly captures the essence of the modern world we live in, and today's younger generation, where technology and internet play big part in our daily activities and social life. Visually, and on a technical level, "The Social Network" never fails to impress. Fincher's direction is pitch-perfect - the camera work is flawless, and the camera angles are creative, varied, and thoroughly effective. The editing is sharp and dynamic, and it helps the story to move briskly from one great scene to another. Cinematogprapher's choices are also admirable - he uses a soft and subtle golden tint and low-key lighting, that pleases the eye, but also a brighter bluish tint in some of the scenes, in order to stimulate viewer's visual senses even more. Donald Graham Burt's production design is nothing short of fascinating, making Harvard look more posh and beautiful than ever. Plus, the soundtrack is fantastically upbeat, as it includes a diverse range of electronic melodies and amazing house tracks. Performance-wise, "The Social Network" truly delivers! Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg is definitely the highlight of this film, as he commands the screen with his charismatic presence and charming awkwardness. Ironically, his character lacks social skills, but he compensates with innovative thinking, razor-sharp cleverness and strange, unexplainable likability. Andrew Garfield as the other protagonist, Eduardo Saverin, gives an incredibly mature and competent performance, and I predict a great acting career for him. Although I'm not a big fan of Justin Timberlake, I have to admit that he is simply incredible here - he's not only charming and physically captivating, but it's obvious that his acting skills has improved enormously. The gorgeous Armie Hammer, perfectly-cast as the twins, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, also does a great job - not only his characters look sophisticated and expensive head to toe, but they're extremely well-portrayed and believable. Marvellously-written, masterfully-directed, sharply-edited, and hugely engrossing, "The Social Network" is hands down the best movie of the year so far, a true masterpiece of modern cinema, and one of Fincher's finest achievements along with "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", "Fight Club" and "Se7en".

• My Rating: 9.75/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 97% (9.0/10)
• IMDb: 8.5/10

[9.75/10] Reign of Assassins (2010)

Jianyu

a.k.a.

Reign of Assassins (2010)

A decade after Ang Lee's hugely successful martial arts masterpiece, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", director Chao-Bin Su and co-director John Woo succeeds in delivering a spectacularly arresting, visually striking and hugely engrossing wuxia flick, that ranks amongst the best of the genre! Set in ancient China, "Reign of Assassins" tells the story of Zeng Jing, a skilled assassin who's on a mission to return the remains of a mystical Buddhist monk to their resting place falls in love with a man named Jiang, whose father was killed by her gang. Soon, a lethal triangle surfaces between her, Jiang and the team of assassins that are after the monk's remains. Film's plot is well-structured, solid and full of intriguing twists and turns, enough to hold any viewer's attention. It's "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" meets "Crouching Tiger" in the best possible way. A cast of A-list Asian actors shines in "Reign of Assassins", with the fantastic Michelle Yeoh being the lead. Yeoh's not only a great female warrior with amazing martial arts skills, but she's an incredibly talented and charismatic actress, whose strong presence commands the screen, and she makes a main heroine that is both - sensitive and tough at the same time. Woo-sung Jung gives a strong and consistently good performance as Zeng's beloved Jiang. They both share great chemistry, and the romance between them feels real and unforced. The rest of the cast also deliver convincingly good performances, with Wang Xueqi as the raspy-voiced Wheel King being the standout, as he makes very interesting character. Veteran fight choreographer, Stephen Tung, who did an outstanding job in last year's amazing kung fu thriller "Bodyguards and Assassins", simply outdoes himself in this film, as he deliver one of the best and most creative action choreography I've ever seen in any martial arts movie. The swordplay in "Reign of Assassins" is nothing short of spectacular, the wire work is flawless and the stunts are fantastically breathtaking. Moreover, the stylized fight scenes themselves are fast-paced and perfectly-edited, and highlighted by the use of various camera angles, without being too over-the-top, thanks to Chao-Bin Su and John Woo's competent direction. Visually, "Reign of Assassins" is slick and stunning, as it offers vivid art direction, striking cinematography that captures the period perfectly and some beautiful costumes with detailed fabrics. Captivatingly-entertaining, spectacularly-choreographed and visually-fantastic, "Reign of Assassins" is the best martial arts film since Zhang Yimou's 2006 visual feast, "Curse of the Golden Flower", and my favorite movie of 2010 so far!

• My Rating: 9.75/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
• IMDb: 6.4/10

[10/10] 300 (2007)

300 (2007)

(Originally posted on 03.30.2007 @ My RT Journal)

"300" is obviously inspired by a comic book, and should be taken as such. While there are many historical inaccuracies, this movie is clear that it's not attempting to retell history, rather just a great, great story. The story here, though predictable, is told very well. It brings you into the battle and into each choice the soldiers make. It makes you feel that raw gritty emotion of pride and glory that booms from the speakers around you. What makes "300" standout is that each scene brings a very unique look, from the rustling of the wheat grains while the sun pierces the cloud-covered sky, to Snyder's amazing ability to use human skin as a palate of contrast to the colors around it. Snyder never uses the same camera angle twice, and the combination of color and shading makes for an absolute beautiful vision. At times, it was hard to tell if the movie was an actual movie or just a moving painting. It would be impossible to make it look closer to Frank Miller's graphic novel then how Snyder showed it. The battle scenes are nothing short of spectacular! When the Spartans are in formation they really seem like they're a single, vicious machine chewing up Persians by about a dozen at a time. The fight choreography is extremely convincing, they look like they've been trained for this their whole lives. When they break formation and start fighting individual Persians, slow motion is briskly employed with each new opponent. A shot will start in normal speed with Leonidas or another Spartan run towards a Persian soldier, then suddenly the speed slows just as he lands a killing blow, giving the audience a lovingly focused look at the bloody blade cutting through them. As visually stunning as this movie was, you cannot have a movie of this kind be as cool without the great soundtrack by Tyler Bates. Besides the music, the visuals, and overall intensity of the film, the acting was also phenomenal. Gerard Butler should be moving up slowing and slowing to an A-list actor after this film because his performance as King Leonidas was exceptional. Lena Headey is stunning as Queen Gorgo, Leonidas' wife, who tries to rally the council of Sparta to her husband's cause. Rodrigo Santoro gave an amazing performance as the villain, Xerxes. Dominic West gave a performance as the Spartan traitor, Theron. Both West and Santoro were the antagonists that you will love to hate. David Wenham was great as not only a narrator but also a member of the Spartan army, Dilios. Simply said, Zach Snyder's "300" is a modern masterpiece! It's a mind-blowing film that offers breathtaking stylish visuals, thrilling battles, top-notch direction and great acting!

• My Rating: 10/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 60% (6.1/10)
• IMDb: 7.8/10
• Nebular's TOP 12 Movies of All Time: #8