DVD : 3/5 Rating : Evil

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IMHO REVIEW :
this movie reminds me a little of el bora in the sense that you can't judge a character by it's initial introduction.

based on the novel, Ondskan, by Swedish author Jan Guillou - after seeing the makings of - found that the movie/book is based on actual accounts of Jan's life, which is pretty scary considering the story/movie.

it takes a troubled teen of 16 whose violent and comes from an abusive family. his mother sends him to a private school in the hopes of one last chance (as no other local schools will take him). in the beginning you feel that this boy is what the title is talking about. that this boy is evil - as the movie progresses it shows him changing as he makes a friend in the private school.

things i found interesting about this movie.
1. it's based on true events
2. it takes place in finland during the 50's / 60's (right after WWII)
3. how teachers act during that time period.
4. how students acted when left to their own devices.

not a - drop everything you must watch this movie - but it's pretty good. don't let the cover fool you - it isn't a 'Fight Club In A Boarding School.'

DVD : 1/5 Rating : Tokyo Rampage

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IMHO REVIEW :
i had high hopes for this movie - mainly cause well... from the plot description. sadly when i saw it it was very disappointing.

it was very slow... and the movie didn't live up to the title of 'Tokyo Rampage.' the story was more like a.... tokyo disturbance more then a rampage.

it's basically bout a gang / yakuza fighting to establish itself and being too scared to do so. so what does the boss do? he tries to get some nut to do it for him... and the nut isn't that interesting either (shown on cover).

it just wasn't a very good gangster movie - with no real insight to that sub-culture / life. i would not recommend this movie.

DVD : 2/5 Rating : 3 Extremes

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Trailer (liongatesfilms.com)
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IMHO REVIEW :
saw this finally - it took two days to watch it. the first night when i tried to watch it i had to stop. it was starting to affect my appetite...

so this movie is a collection of three shorts by three of todays best horror/uber violent movie directors. two i've heard of the third i have not.

Chan-wook Park did the vengence series. old boy, sympathy for mr. vengence and lady vengence.

Takashi Miike did ichi the killer, audition amongst many others.

Fruit Chan i've never heard of but after seeing his short i should look him up.

the three shorts were okay - it wasn't amazing or up to par from their other movies i've seen. but something that i found interesting was how the three movies seemed to mimic the styles of their countries (imho). Fruit Chan's short (chinese) was very normal paced. it seemed like a telling of a very normal story with very very un-normal plot.

Chan-woo Park's short (korean) was very raw, very rash and pretty loud. while Takashi Miike's short (japanese) was very quite and used lots of beautiful scenery which was held for effect.

overall :
Dumpling (Fruit Chan) was the best story - and the creepiest.

Cut (Chan-woo Park) seemed forced. the overall story was a bit hard to believe mainly cause it felt so rushed.

Boxed (Takashi Miike) seemed a bit slow, especially since it was the last short and it followed two movies which was faster paced in it's story telling.

i would have ordered the movie to build up the action / pace. Boxed then Dumpling and close with Cut. but that's just me. personally i'd say go for their full length movies - they're better in every way.

DVD : 1/5 Rating : Hoodwinked

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IMHO REVIEW :
saw this the other day - and don't ask why but i also saw the extras on the dvd. the extras 'making of hoodwinked' i thought was more interesting then the movie iteself.

it explained how they came up with the story - got an illustrator to do some very basic drawings and then sat around a table with some friends and recorded the script. they quickly edited the sound and drawings together and then showed it to some local kids ranging from 4-10 year olds.

i can't say if the kids will like this movie or not but if you're an adult you won't. it isn't like shrek. the story is kinda boring and the 'who dun it' is really simple to figure out... but then again they did target audience for 4-10 year olds.

DVD : 1/5 Rating : Shogun Assassin

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IMHO REVIEW :
what a disappointing movie. :(

i had high hopes as this movie is based on one of my favorite comic series - lone wolf and cub. i rented it - and started watching it when to my joy the intro of the movie was familiar to me. i had heard it in Kill Bill part 2 when Uma's character and her daughter watches a movie... it's this movie.

so with gleeful content i watched, only to be utterly disappointed. first the main character choice... it was just hard for me to believe a fat-ish guy with a double chin to be a bad ass samuria, plus the movie seemed more like a compilation of fight scenes from another movie / show. the story arc was poor - if you can even find it and they butchered the characters.

they made the final villian the shogun who happened to be a wizard??!?!?! WTF?

avoid it... avoid it at all cost. read the comic series instead.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Lucky Number Slevin

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IMHO REVIEW :
what can i say - i'm a movie whore.

so i didn't see this and didn't want to see this mainly cause of josh hartnett - i'm not a big fan. but with it's all star cast of bruce willis, morgan freeman and ben kingsley... how could i say no, and i was very glad i didn't.

the movie is very entertaining and i gotta say, after this movie i dislike hartnett less. the movie has a very entertaining story with twists and turns, the good guy wins the bad guy loses, etc.. etc.. you get the idea.

the only thing that bugged me about the movie was lucy liu. she was horrible in it (i thought). her character was needed (i guess) but i don't think it needed to be as large of a role as it was. my guess is they expanded the role only cause it was 'lucy liu' and sadly (i thought) she really didn't do much to add to the overall story.

she seemed very out of place if anything. overall - great story, great who dun-it, great pace.

i also enjoyed the fact the director didn't show alot of acts of violence, rather he showed the aftermath of it - which to my suprised worked super well.

looking for good ol' fun entertainment - then this movie is for you.

DVD : 4/5 Rating : Love Me If You Dare

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IMHO REVIEW :
saw this yesterday. rented this based on it's trailer - it looked like a romatic comedy, and it started out as such but then mid way changed.

this movie reminded me of bitter moon - where the story explores love, both it's happy side as well as it's dark side.

this movie starts out with two kids, one with an ailing mother and another a porlak from a poor family which everyone teases. they become friends and to make each other happy they play a game of dare. initially it's cute, then funny and as they grow older you see that they have something very very special.

then the turning point when the girl can not distinguish if the boy truely loves her of if it's all just a game... then the story turns very very dark.

it's a great story and well told, just not for the faint of heart and not for those looking for a happy ending. it is NOT like 'when harry met sally' as much as it seems so in the beginning.

watch it, but be forewarned it isn't your typical love story.

DVD : 4/5 Rating : El Bola

LINKS :
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IMHO REVIEW :
just finished watching this movie.

it's good - but very very hard to watch. it's a movie of a 12 year old boy who lives with an abusive father. the story is told very well showing a slice of life of a 'normal kid' and a 'bad kid' and the family life each lives. they become friends and the 12 year old boy is exposed to a happy family.

he then has to go back to his home where his father awaits. the voilence isn't gratuitous but the movie will have you at the edge of your seat as there are moments of tension where you think something will happen and hope that it won't.

it's a great movie on a very hard subject matter.

fyi - the movie is from film movement (i'm guessing it's the distribution company) and i'm gonna have to rent more movies by them.

ADDITION :
just finished watching the extras on this dvd and i'm very glad that i did. there was a makings of which was mildly interesting, but it also had a short movie called 'More' directed by Mark Osborne which received an Academy Award nomination in 1998. it's a great animated short. don't forget to view it when you rent this dvd.

DVD : 4/5 Rating : Dirty Pretty Things

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IMHO REVIEW :
saw this yesterday on HBO - great movie, don't let the title & cover fool you. it's a great mystery thriller that will make your stomach churn at moments. just read the plot synopsis.

Plot Synopsis from Amazon.com : Okwe, a kind-hearted Nigerian doctor, and Senay, a Turkish chambermaid, work at the same West London hotel. The hotel is run by Senor Sneaky and is the sort of place where dirty business like drug dealing and prostitution takes place. However, when Okwe finds a human heart in one of the toilets, he uncovers something far more sinister than just a common crime.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Audition

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IMHO REVIEW : *WARNING*
i heard about this movie from a friend of mine who went to see it at the theatres during the showing various people left and puked... the last 20 minutes is that violent.

mind you this movie is directed by the same director (Takashi Miike) who directed Ichi the Killer. the difference with this movie is that Takashi explored the more emotional aspect of violence / terror. for the bulk of the movie you're just tense... there are just things that isn't right. there are moments when you just feel creeped out.

so the overall plot of the movie is this - widowed film maker (who has a son) is told by a friend that he should remarry. when the film maker states how is he gonna find the right gal his friend suggests that they use a movie audition as an excuse to find him a wife / date. needless to say they go through various gals until the director finds one who he likes.

they go on one date and the director is wondering if he should really persue this. during this lull Takashi shows a scene where the gal is sitting on the floor of an empty room - except for a telephone and what looks like a bag filled with dirty laundry (it looks like a duffle bag). he holds this scene - with her head down for a bit.... then he shows it again - she has not moved.

then the phone rings... she picks up.... and there is a scene where out of nowhere the bag starts to tussle/move. - bloodie creepie! later in the movie you actually see what's in the bag.

it's an amazingly creepy violent movie - interesting story + telling only if you can stomach it. again - when it showed in theaters many people walked out puking (so my friend told me) and after having seen the movie i understand why.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Ichi the Killer

LINKS :
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IMHO REVIEW : *WARNING*
another ultra-violent movie. if you liked old boy this would be it for stylized cartoonish violence. not for the faint of heart.

the reason i have a warning on Takashi Miike is known for doing ultra violent movies and pushing the boundaries. his other famous movie is 'The Audition' - but unlike that movie this is just trying to show you the gore. there are moment's when the violence seem cartoonish - especially towards the end. but this movie is not for the faint of heart.

what is the plot? it's basically about a sadistic gangster whose boss (also a sadistic bastard) was murdered - very messy like. so this gangster is out to try to find the killer. you later learn that this killer is 'Ichi.' in addition to this the gangster (his the guy on the cover) goes about trying to find his bosses' killer by torturing random / various people.

mind you there are moments when i thought - damn, that's pretty creative (and very very creepy) but there are more moments when you just have to look away.

Ichi the Killer combines sadism and a murder mystery. it's an entertaining watch - but be WARNED it's amazingly visually violent.

DVD : 4/5 Rating : Baadasssss Cinema - A Bold Look at 70's Blaxploitation Films

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Trailer (rottentomatoes.com)
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IMHO REVIEW :
saw this documentary on the IFC channel a few times. it's a great documentary and i'd highly recommend it. it's a look at 70's 'Blaxploitation' films and it's history. it being in the 70's they interview many of the actors / directors / those influenced by the movies of that time.

one highlight of the movie - where and who coined the phrase 'Blaxploitation.' the NAACP - not white middle america, but by The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Howl's Moving Castle

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IMHO REVIW :
watched this movie yesterday - via Netflx.

all in all a pretty good flick, but not as great as i had hoped. a part of that could be cause i'm such a huge fan of Hayao Miyazaki's previous works. works such as my neighbor totoro, nausica of the valley of the wind, spirited away and my personal favorite princess mononoke (in case you're wondering what mononoke means - ghost (angry), specter).

howl's moving castle has a similar feel - creepy creatures, magic, spirits and the like. his creativity of how the castle works is pretty amazing. his characters are super sweet - but it seemed lacking. the movie felt long, the story slow to develop and the ending seemed very abrupt. everything tied up very nicely in 5 minutes and left you wondering... really. that's all you had to do?

this would be a rent for me. if you are curious - i'd strongly suggest his other works - especially Princess Mononoke.

DVD : 2/5 Rating : V for Vendetta

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IMHO REVIEW :
saw this over the weekend with two friends of mine who hasn't read the comic book. they thought it was 'okay' nothing great, but not bad by any means. me - having read the graphic novel didn't like it at all.

perhaps it is cause i'm a fanboy and have read the graphic novel, know that the writer, alan moore, was so unhappy bout this project that he basically wanted no association with the movie (his partner / illustrator was given credit in the movie) and they changed natalie portmans character ALOT! in the graphic novel her character is suppose to be this 12 year old gal who decides to become a prostitute. on her first nite out she solicites (very poorly) a fingerman - which is how she gets into trouble and 'V' helps out.

there's also alot of little details / interactions / relationships which the comic goes into which the movie doesn't. my recommendation. if you've read the book do not go see this movie. if you haven't read the book but enjoyed the movie - go find the graphic novel.

DVD : 0/5 Rating : The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

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IMHO REVIEW :
just saw this movie tonight - had high hopes as it seemed to have gotten decent reviews, but was super disappointed.

very very bad. did not like it at all. wonder how people whose actually read the books feel about it. felt like there was too much content which was condensed - leaving out details which (i'm guessing) is important to the overall storyline.

the movie completely lost my interest and hopes when they introduced santa - SANTA! DAH! what kind of movie expects santa to give you weapons! come on!

ho ho ho - you've been a good boy, here's a sword to kill little animals. come on!

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Saving Face

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IHMO REVIEW :
i'd also add if you're asian it'll make your cringe - the mother character reminded me of my mother... ooo ouch... yikes... pow...

FYI for the fellas - rent this movie to show you're a caring individual who loves romatic comedies with heart. then watch it for the asian lesbian scene. ho ho!

the story of this movie is very typical of asian culture - as you go older in generation it becomes more and more strict. the movie about the interaction between the lesbian daughter and her mother - and her mother to her parents. the mother (who is a widow) becomes pregant - which is a huge no no. she is kicked out of her parents house (the grandparent's house) and is told that she MUST marry.

the mother goes to live with her daughter whose a med student/doctor + lesbian which her mother refuses to believe and constantly tries to set her up with single men.

it's an interesting story of how past cultures are mixed with that of american culture and where children who grew up here must live a mixed cultured life - what makes the movie so interesting to watch (and i don't just mean the lesbian scenes) is the movie looks at what happens to those cultures as they are faced with personal desires which are contrary to what they were raised with.

DVD : 4/5 Rating : Good Luck, And Good Night

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IMHO REVIEW :
just finished watching this and enjoyed it very much. no action, no gun fire, no explosions - just good story telling, good acting and great dialog.

i was very impressed by the pace and how they tried (i thought) to keep the story as honest as possible. the pressures of the times were expressed very well i thought, and in all honestly i know very little about that time - but after seeing the movie (and if it's historically accurate) i gotta say... the stuff that's happening now sound very familiar to what happend in the 50's.

random jailings of people with accusations but no real proof... everything based upon fear. it definately makes me learn more about what during McCarthism.

BUY / RENT / BORROW - definately watch it.

DVD : 0/5 Rating : Time Code

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Trailer (virgin.net)
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Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
been meaning to watch this movie for awhile (it kept getting pushed down in my netflix que) but saw it today!

and sadly the movie is a better concept then a movie. concept - four independent cameras following four characters in one continuous shot. the basic script / story is there but the actors have to improvise the scene - in this case one long scene.

great idea - but it just didn't come off. because of the improv of all scenes it seemed like there really wasn't a flow to the movie. it seemed more like a bunch of noise then a well orchistrated interweaving of stories. the random earthquake thingy where it looked like they just shook the camera... kinda lame.

also they had random characters which didn't seem to fit in. some characters seemed serious - coke using, moody producer, then they had random comical characters - a massuse who basically looked like he didn't know what he was doing massaging random actors - fluffing up their hair.

bottom line - don't waste your time

DVD : 4/5 Rating : Born Rich

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Trailer (first 8 minutes - rottentomatoes.com)
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IHMO REVIEW :
saw this the other day and really enjoyed it. it's a documentary filmed by Jamie Johnson (20 year old heir to Johnson & Johnson), interviewing his friends who are also 'born rich.'

i enjoyed this movie very much because it gave insight to a sub-culture which few ever see (myself included) of people born into wealth and how they handle their lives. it's facinating to see the stuff they have to deal with which most people will never experience.

for example - one heir who was being interviewed told a story of when he turned 18. his parents came to visit him and then gave him a stack of paperwork to sign - one of which was his will. crazy~

what i got from the movie was that these kids who don't have to do anything become one of two things. one - crazy / depressed / don't have any direction or goals in life or two - they find something which gives them purpose / interest / facination. and those who find purpose seem to be better off. i guess that could be said of anyone.

bottom line - BUY / RENT / BORROW - watch it.

DVD : 0/5 Rating : Heights

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Blue Dot

IHMO REVIEW :
saw the movie - it was not very good.

some of my friends on Blue Dot stated it wasn't very good. shoulda listened to them :P

acting was okay... story predictable... the flow of story not very exciting...

bottom line : NOT RECOMMENDED (not even if there's nothing in the video store should you rent this movie)

redotting this to check out - will netflix.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Last Life in the Universe

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IMHO REVIEW :
finally watched the movie last nite and here's my review.

1. initially it seemed very slow (meaning the story telling was slow) and so it annoyed me. then i noticed that it was intentional. that the movie was trying to tell stories with images / scenes without any interactions with the actors. there were shots / scenes of empty rooms with nothing happening. you were allowed to view the empty space and get the story.

2. so i got the bit of how they were trying to use images to help tell the story. there were many things which suggested at importance but didn't explain further. this annoyed me. so i decided to watch it again with the commentary on. the commentary was by the cinematographer and he talked more about 'image making' and towards the end he actually stated. the movie / images are what they are. they don't have to be explained. when you look at a painting you don't ask why - you just enjoy it.

3. bloodie hell! so the movie didn't explain it's images / scenes.... but after some thought i found this interesting. the movie - with it's lack of hand holding to tell the story - makes you get involved. makes you think about the visuals, the pacing the interactions between the two main characters. it makes you think.

overall : if you're into 'image making' of diciphering visual language, you'll like this movie. this is not a hollywood type flick so don't watch it if you want to be 'entertained - and forget about your day.' DO watch it if you want to interact with the movie. ideally watch it with a friend and discuss it afterwards.

DVD : 4/5 Rating : Downfall

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IMHO REVIEW :
saw this movie the other day... it was a very hard movie to watch. the movie covers the last few days of Adolf Hitler in his Berlin bunker at the end of WWII.

i think if you're a huge history buff (especially war buff) + you have a high tolerance for gore you'll like this movie. i for one had a very hard time with it - because the gore (sawing off someone's leg / arm - killing children via poison) was just too much. the realism as well as the casualness of some of these scenes (which i'm only guessing to be what it might be like in a war situation) was just too much.

i turned away many a times hoping the scene would end. but as for the acting and the storytelling it was great. especially the actor who portrayed Hitler. the character starts off being a strong figure and as the movie moves on starts to become this frail defeated shell of a man. the characters around him / the mood and everything starts to errode and turns chaotic.

i would not recommend this movie (even though i think there's some good acting / story / etc...) unless you're a war / history buff. i had a very hard time viewing it due to the content in this movie... and anyone who knows me knows i don't get freaked out too easily.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Dave Chappelle's Block Party

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IMHO REVIEW :
just got this today from netflix - watchin it RIGHT NOW! so excited. it's unrated + it has EXTENDED PERFORMANCES!!!! WOOOOOT!!!!

after watching the DVD i was a bit disappointed. the extended performances should have been called 'extended performance.' there was only 1. :( plus the extras (which i had hoped would be additional performance footage) were makings of... and following some peeps who were invited... interesting, but not what i was hoping for.

i was hoping for the full concert! each artist played 5 songs each! there were 9 main performers - that's 9 x 5 = 45 songs!!!! where are they! what were they! doh! why isn't it featured in the DVD / soundtrack???? i would have loved to have this DVD be a 2 DVD set - the first being the movie and the second just cover the concert. :( oh well.

THEATER : 3/5 Rating : Superman Returns

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IMHO REVIEW :
went to see superman 3D at the IMAX theater yesterday. it was an interesting event. because it was at the IMAX theater we had to get there super early. the showing wast at 10:15pm - but we got there at 8 to get the tickets and get in line. we waited an hour outside, then we were let inside - to wait in yet another line. and finally at 10:10pm they let us in. now about the review.

Superman Returns seemed more like a re-introduction to superman. the storyline as to why he has not been in the public eye was good, the acting was pretty good - the pacing was okay, but i was hoping for more action. the whole lex luthor's crazy scheme seemed kinda lame and seemed like an after thought. the real story was - where has superman been all this time and lois lane being engaged + with child. i won't get into the details of the plot as i'm sure you'll want to see it yourself. but be warned - it's 2 1/2 hrs long. so use the bathroom before watching.

now the 3D aspects... it was interesting. sadly the 3D looked a bit fuzzy + it made the movie look darker then it was - losing details. i would recommend you see this at a normal theather without 3D.

bottom line - the story between superman and lois lane is interesting. lex luthor's story arc... eh.

also - the actor Kal Penn (the guy who played Kumar in Harold and Kumar) was one of lex's henchman and was shown many times - but he never actually said anything through out the whole movie! come on - let Kumar speak!

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

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Trailer (apple.com)
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Blue Dot

IHMO REVIEW :
saw this last night (yes after i saw Superman Returns) and was surprised to like it. not a big fan of Robert Downey Jr. but he was likeable in this movie (i thought). it's from the same peeps who did the 'Lethal Weapon' series and has the same feel. so if you liked lethal weapon - you'll probably like this movie as well.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Green Street Hooligans

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Blue Dot

IHMO REVIEW :
just finished watching this movie (via netflix - i heart netflix) and i loved it. with that stated i especially enjoyed the first half of the movie.

the first half is about an american harvard journalism major who gets kicked out of school due to a false accusation of drug possession. he goes to london to visit his sister there where he becomes involved with his brother-in-laws younger brother whose a hooligan. the first half exposes the viewer into the subculture of hooliganism and it's facinating. it doesn't water it down. the characters are speaking full british lingo and doesn't really try to make it understandable to the viewers (too much).

the second half gets to the morals and such - typical stuff. but overall the story was great. Elijah Wood - the main character does a great job of going through a transformation of being an afraid confused individual to someone who becomes a hard hooligan / gang member. very nice.

i'd recommend the movie just for the first half. the pub scenes - the subculture - the love of football and more importantly the love of the 'firm.' great stuff.

THEATER : 4/5 Rating : Welcome to Cavite

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IHMO REVIEW :
just saw this movie tonight - it's playing this week at the varsity theather in U District, if you miss it it'll be on netflix soon.

so here's my review.

if you dislike violence or/and have bad motion sickness this movie isn't for you. (two peeps walked out of the movie)

but if you like great story - edge of your seat - indie - smart movies then this is for you. there are two main characters in this movie and they are the writers of this movie. one filmed it while the other was the main character which you follow + the director also played the second character which you never see. it's a slice of life - it's scary and it's very very believable. it takes you to the phillippines and exposes you to their culture as well as what happens to some unfortunate souls.

roldy originally dotted this with a summary so if you want to read it - go ahead, but i would suggest (if you're interested in viewing this) to view it without reading the summary. it'll keep you at the edge of your seat. the way the story is told is great.

PLUS if you're someone whose thought about making a movie i'd highly recommend watching this. i'm very curious to know how much was spent making this movie. it seemed very low budget - but the story was great. i'd say this is a great example of how with enginuity you can still make a compelling movie.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (as long as you're okay with violence and motion)

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Night Watch

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IMHO REVIEW :
saw this the other day. i know that i reviewed this movie (kinda) sometime ago stating i didn't like it much... but i got it via netflix and watched it again. here's my second review.

the first time i watched it was over at a friends house after a food coma... i was half falling asleep trying to read the subtitles. this time around i was wide wake and enjoyed the movie very much. to my shock.

one odd thing though... in the language selection they only had english, french and spanish. no russian... whatever. the story was pretty good - i especially enjoyed how everything tied in. if you enjoy fantasy, epic stories that you'll be very entertained. it won't move you - it won't leaving with an epiphany, but it will leave you entertained.

FYI - this is the first film of a trilogy. on the dvd they had extras showing the director / writer talking bout it with them filming the second film. i'll be waiting for the second installment.

DVD : 4/5 Rating : Everything is Illuminated

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Trailer (apple.com)
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Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
saw this last night and enjoyed it very very much. it's your typical story of a boy who goes on a travel to find himself... well - find his past... well his grandfather's past.

the story - on the cover - is Elijah Woods, but in truth the story isn't really about him. his more of a catalist for what happens. the story is really about a grandfather and a grandson who happens to be driving Elijah's character around in the Ukraine.

storytelling is great. the first half of the movie is humorous and then there is a moment in the movie as things slowly change. the second half is a tear jerker.

this movie is about the past, about objects, about people and about how it all interwines.

RECOMMENDED

DVD : 0/5 Rating : 16 Blocks

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Trailer (apple.com)
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Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
i've seen this movie some time ago - wasn't moved to review it. but to be complete - here's my review.

don't watch it. it sucks ass. not enough action, the ending is all hollywood and it just doesn't compare to any of the die hard series.

DVD : 0/5 Rating : Hostage

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Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
saw this movie some time ago - review = bad. well - disappointing. i guess it's mainly cause when i see bruce willis in an action flick i automatically think of the die hard series - which were all entertaining - great plot twists and of course big bangs! this movie just didn't have it.

it tried to have plot twists - which initially were interesting, but it didn't build. it just fizzled... and of course you gotta hate it when they don't explain stuff. who were the bad guys again?

NOT RECOMMENDED

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Running Scared

LINKS :
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Trailer (apple.com)
Official Website (New Line Cinema)
Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
so yea... i'm catching up on my movie reviews. saw this two nights ago. it isn't bad... there were two things that annoyed me slightly - but if you can set that aside it's pretty entertaining. (way better then 16 blocks or hostage).

1. the ending is just too convenient. it just ties all the loose ends in like 5 min... that always annoys me.

2. the way things all tie together - how the story goes from one character to the next and so forth... it's just... to contrived? if you can look away from that - it's very entertaining and the pace is fast.

if you're looking for a good action flick where you'll be entertained that i think this would be a good flick. but if you get annoyed with details and such... you might want to stay away from this.

DVD : 4/5 Rating : Anne of Green Gables

LINKS :
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IMHO REVIEW :
DON'T YOU JUDGE ME!

yeah so what... i like anne of green gables... originally saw this way back when i was still in high school on PBS... and yes, i thought the stories were great. it's in the same vain as little house in the prairie.

if you've never seen it and enjoy really cheese wholesome teenage angst type shows... this would be the one for you + it's sequel.

DVD : 4/5 Rating : Anne of Green Gables - The Sequel

LINKS :
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IMHO REVIEW :
DON'T YOU JUDGE ME!

saw the sequel over the weekend as well. very good - if you like little house in the prairie type shows.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Mirrormask

LINKS :
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Trailer (apple.com)
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Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
just finished watching this movie... i have somewhat of a skewed review. i love Dave McKean's work and this movie definately looks like his work.

the story is pretty typical. a gal who is growing up... goes on a fantasy journey to discovery herself and save a fantasy world... it kinda reminded me of the never ending story - except this was good.

i also watched the additional stuff on the DVD and enjoyed it very much... such as - this is the first full feature movie by Dave McKean - not bad considering it was his first flick. their budget was apparently pretty small - they didn't go into numbers but it was brought up several times how great the movie looked considering. they had 15 animators / 3D artists who all worked on a movie for the first time - McKean let each take a whole scene and work on it... unthinkable! but he thought that would get everyone excited and let them express their creativity... sweet.

the whole movie (live action) was apparently shot in something like 6 weeks - then it took the team 2 years to finish it - adding in all the various affects.

if you love visuals and creative fantasy worlds then i would suggest you watch this movie. if you know anything about Dave McKean or Neil Gaiman then you should check it out... i still say the best story i've seen / read by Neil Gaiman is the sandman series - but the visuals in this sucker and the overall fantasy elements in this movie is worth a watch.

bottom line - love visuals - check it out.

DVD : 4/5 Rating : Syriana

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Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
just finished watching this movie and i think a lot of blue dotters would enjoy this movie. it's a movie based on story - not on any single interaction / character... the movie follows 5 main stories and how they all revolve around one key item, oil... and how that effects each other, nations and it's citizens.

the story was very well told (i thought) in it's way to reveal itself. it followed five peoples lives - trying to tell all sides from a CIA agent, to the Oil Industry, the lawyer, the lawmaker, the amir, the terrorist... they did a great job in trying to show how each thought, how each approached their lot in life.

FYI - there was one scene of voilence - so if you can't take it... just look away for bout :30 seconds and you're in the clear. if you're looking for action filled movies - this isn't it. looking for story based drama - this is your baby.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : The Matador

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Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
just watched this a few days ago - here's my review. it's an entertaining movie with a great setup! but then ends too quickly... and too conveniently...

the premise. a hitman is getting old in his years... and as he starts to notices that he doesn't have anyone in his life... he feels lonely. the salesman comes into his life - but i'll skip that so i don't give too much away.

the cool bit for me (the setup) was that this hitman, because he feels so lonely in his line of work starts to screw up... his basically burnt out... his starting to freak out and needs help... but where does he go, who can he ask for help, how can he solve this when he is so alone.... great setup! fantastic! (i think)... so how does he solve this?

well that's the disappointing bit - the movie solves these problems in 15 min (give or take) minutes... and at least to me it wasn't very convincing and i thought that they coulda done more with the premise. oh well - all in all, not a bad flick - i just wish they woulda done more with the overall premise.

DVD : 4/5 Rating : Day Watch / Dnevnoy Dozor

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Trailer (themoviebox.net)
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Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
just watched this over at harolds place - bloodie great movie. the timing on the subtitles were slightly off, but other then that the movie was great.

day watch is the second installment of a trilogy. the first was night watch, the second is called day watch.

here's my review - without giving too much away. the second movie seemed like they had a bigger budget (the first was a huge hit in russia) and they dive in deeper into the story and explore more about the world - exploring it. the overall setup is great. there are two forces - the dark and the light. these forces have a truce... and there are peeps to enforce that truce, should the truce be broken - there will be all out war. simple yes, but the way the story works within the setup is great.

the creativity of the writer or production person or whoever came up with all the cool stuff is fantastic. the bit i love most is how they take common objects and give it a back story, making these objects interesting. example - flashlight, in the first movie the flashlight was a weapon, which can expose and harm the 'dark.' in this movie they introduce more stuff - such as the camera, a piece of chalk, a childs toy. it's great.

the second movie has a complete story - if you haven't seen the first movie you can still enjoy this story, but you'll enjoy them slightly more if you have seen it as all the characters from the first movie is in the second. the completeness of this story was great - all i can say is i have no idea how they are gonna top this one and what story they will do for the third... it was that complete.

if you're interested in watching this movie now and not wait... go to scarecrow videos on roosevelt (seattle).

THEATER : 2/5 Rating : Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

LINKS :
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Trailer (Yahoo.com)
Official Website (Disney)
Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
saw this movie earlier with my dad - it was what i was expecting. not bad but by no means great. it had it's moments, it had all the various special effects - it left a lot of stuff hanging... pretty much what i expected reading some of the reviews on bluedot.

noticed kids in the movie theater watching this - was wondering how they could sit through all 2 1/2 hrs of this without getting tired. was shocked the kids seemed to enjoy it - there were some movie gore, but they didn't seem to mind. go figure.

my recommendation - watch it only if you have nothing else to watch and you really wanna go watch a movie. otherwise, go grab a beer.

DVD : 0/5 Rating : Prozac Nation

LINKS :
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Trailer (ifilm.com)
Official Website (Miramax)
Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
oh my god - doesn't anyone do research anymore? i say this because i saw 'prozac nation' a few days ago and was shocked by how crappy the movie was... well perhaps it was cause i just couldn't get into it.

let me explain. i enjoy movies that can set a premise and then follow that premise - i enjoy it even more if they do something interesting with that premise. if they break the illusion for me - it's over. i can't get over it... so how did this movie screw up? well the movie is set in mid 1980's - it's bout a gal (christina ricci) who goes to harvard or some such... that's fine. some random gal recognizes her and when asked how she knew her name the gal says.... 'i looked you up in facebook.'

facebook... come on. it's suppose to be 1985! there was no facebook! dah! facebook didn't get started until bout 2004!

so i'm already annoyed... then comes all the whinning... it's basically a drama feast. ricci is a supa talented writer (of course she is) who just isn't understood (of course she isn't) her mother doesn't understand - her father doesn't understand, her father's a bastard... blah blah blah... you get the picture.

the ending sucked even more... i just wanted this movie to end - it felt like the pharmaceutical funded the movie. the whole bloodie movie, she has theraphy, fits with drugs, falls in love blah blah blah - all doesn't work - nothing works... then she gets on prozac and BAM! suddenly she's better... WTF.

save yourself some time - unless you're an 17 year ol emo kid who feels that no-one understands them, avoid this movie.

DVD : 0/5 Rating : The Thief Lord

LINKS :
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Trailer (Virgin.net)
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Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
just finished watching this - i'm not having very good luck with movies of late. this movie was horrible... for something called 'The Thief Lord' you'd think there'd be some stealing - but no... no one steals a thing. let me repeat - nobody steals a thing!

it's a family flick, but the summary sounded so good! it was compared with harry potter. about venice - about magic - about mystery... no such luck.

another thing that annoyed me to no end. for it being set in venice - every actor & extra all had british accents. wtf. it was just really bad.

perhaps i'm just too old for it - it got fairly decent reviews on amazon.com & on netflix.com - perhaps the kids will love it - i did not.

DVD : 0/5 Rating : Must Love Dogs

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Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
must love dogs should be titled 'must love crap.'

yes yes, it's pretty harsh - BUT IT'S TRUE! i felt the need to watch a romatic comedy - don't ask why - so i had must love dogs and alfie on my netflix que. they came, i watched - and here's my review.

do not waste your time with this movie. this movie had average ratings on both amazon.com and netflix.com but the movie is just plain aweful. the jokes were forced, the 'insightful' look into the dating world was cliche and the heart to heart moment between diane lane's character and her dad was just plain... stupid.

why you ask? well her dad is posting ads online - then dating all these women, he dates three women at once, his daughter (Diane Lane) speaks to him of how unfair this is to the women and how she feels his hurting one in particular. his response - i've lost the love of my life, now i'm just trying to keep busy so i won't have to remember her. WTF - that just means (in the wise words of snoop) we don't love them hoes.

with this answer of course Diane Lane is all cryin' and crap. whatever. it's a real shame considering that i think john cusack & diane lane are great actors, but the story is crap - and it felt like the actors just didn't care - there was nothing.

DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE!

DVD : 2/5 Rating : Alfie

LINKS :
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Trailer (apple.com)
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Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
saw this movie some time ago - here's my review

it had promise... too bad it didn't have the right cinemontographer, director, etc... what do i mean by that? to my surprise the story wasn't that bad! i say this because the reviews i had seen / heard when this movie was in theaters were aweful. so i wasn't expecting much... but to my surprise the overall story was pretty darn good - the acting (especially by jude law) was pretty good as well... so why did i not love this movie.

well for one - the bloodie heavy handedness of the visuals. the random large words - which is suppose to look like ads? but is just over the top messaging by the bloodie director. YUCK! it insults me as a viewer that they have to be so blunt. the look of the movie... the bloodie thing had three different looks! WTF! that's right - in the beginning it's got a slick MTV look to it - meaning the lighting is over the top, everyone looks beautiful, etc.. etc.. then suddenly the lighting changes to be drab, cold, etc... the change is too harsh, again - very heavy handed.

the overall story is the same ol story. player luckie enough to find good women - but screws it up cause his selfish and is constantly looking for something better - when he loses what he had then he comes to the realization... oh shit i had something good.

bottom line - it's an 'eh' movie - it did make me curious about the original though - gonna que the original on netflix.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Empire of the Wolves

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Trailer (french)
Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
saw 'empire of the wolves' the other day and here's my review. it's pretty darn good! the movie - as i see it - is in three parts. part one: creepy! - part two: mystery + twist. - part three: build up + conclusion. in that sense it kinda threw me of initially - cause the first 1/3 of the movie seems like it's gonna be a horror flick (meaning - it has some visually gross stuff... so if it's not your thing - look away) but after that it goes in deeper to solving a mystery...

the mystery is great - there are multiple characters all unique which all seems to be converging. some characters : young cop trying to find a serial killer. corrupt cop who was fired - but knows the turkish underwold. government official wife whose memory is failing her. the serial killer. those are the four main characters - but they have a slue of supporting casts which are all very well played out & given time to develope.

overall - a very entertaining movie. my only grip was the very end... it ended too 'neatly.' i dislike movies that end too neatly - especially when the whole movie was spent building up towards the end... where you're wondering - what the shits gonna happen next! and then it's... oh - is that all. :(

but still a good mystery story with lots of twists and turns you don't expect (i didn't). if you're up for a mystery - this would be a good flick.

DVD : 5/5 Rating : Me And You And Everyone We Know

LINKS :
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Trailer (apple.com)
Official Website (Film Four / IFC Films)
Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
i've heard so much about this movie... and then finally i watched it. i loved this movie - so much so i'm having a hard time mailing it back to netflix.

why you ask? well the movie is so well written - the transitions are beautiful and it's very artsy! did i mention the acting? it's wonderful. i especially liked John Hawkes who plays the shoe salesman... he has the ability to look crazy, sad, happy all with his eyes. it's creepy and wonderful at the same time.

FYI - one of the main characters who is also the writer and director Miranda July is a filmmaker, performing artist and writer and it shows in this movie.

i really can't go into the details of why i love it so... you'll just have to trust me and watch it. i've added a plot summary (at the bottom from amazon) but trust me. if you like indie + artsy movies with beautiful visuals and transitions + great story that's handled with care - you'll love this movie too.

Plot Synopsis from Amazon.com : 'Me and You and Everyone We Know' is a poetic and penetrating observation of how people struggle to connect with one another in an isolating and contemporary world. Christine Jesperson is a lonely artist and "Eldercab" driver who uses her fantastical artistic visions to draw her aspirations and objects of desire closer to her. Richard Swersey (John Hawkes), a newly single shoe salesman and father of two boys, is prepared for amazing things to happen. But when he meets the captivating Christine, he panics. Life is not so oblique for Richard's seven-year-old Robby, who is having a risqué Internet romance with a stranger, and his fourteen-year-old brother Peter who becomes the guinea pig for neighborhood girls -- practicing for their future of romance and marriage.'

DVD : 4/5 Rating : Rashomon

LINKS :
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Official Website (The Criterion Collection)
Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :

watched this movie some time ago (catching up on dots :P) which came highly recommended by eric.

it was a great movie - very very well shot. they even had a special features section on the DVD which talked about how the camera was another actor - they would be correct.

there are two main points i think make this a great movie.

1. the story - bloodie great. it's a recounting of a rape and murder told by 4 peeps - all in their own viewpoint which favors them of course. you as the viewer has to decide / figure out who is telling the truth, what part of the story is true, etc... the interaction between you as the viewer and the movie is fantastic and if the camera work was crap that would not have been able to happen.

2. the cinemontography - amazing - even more amazing because this movie was shot in 1950! WHAT! THAT'S RIGHT - 1950. but other then the the movie being in black and white - you wouldn't be able to tell it's so old. it's that great. again - in the extras portion of the DVD they talk about how this movie was the first movie every to point the camera up.... at the sky. it's visible in the very first seen - as a woodcutter goes into the woods - that whole scene is beautiful and takes you the viewer with the woodcutter - deep deep into the woods. the way they used mirrors to light the actors! BRILLIANT! (highly recommend watching the extras).

apparently because most of the movie is shot in the woods conventional lighting systems didn't work - the contrast wasn't enough and everything looked grey. so the cinemontography decided to try mirrors - to basically light the actors so that they can stand out. the results are amazing.

bottom line - like foreign flicks? like great story? like to discuss movies after watching them? like non-hollywood flicks? watch this movie - come on, it's done by Akira Kurosawa - how can you not! :P

DVD : 0/5 Rating : Mysterious Skin

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Trailer (apple.com)
Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
after seeing so many indies and loving most - i thought indie was the way to go... this movie taught me not all indies are great... or even good for that matter.

so mysterious skin is apparently based on a book by the same name written by Scott Heim. with that aside the movie was rated high on both amazon.com and netflix (i really need to find a better review place before renting) - but that aside i was very excited to see this movie. great reviews - indie - it also stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt whose been doing more indie flicks (his also staring in 'Brick' which i've heard good things about). so bottom line - i was excited to see the movie...

then i actually saw the movie... i was not impressed. the acting was good... the story... seemed very very pointless, and offensive (to me). and the big 'mystery' seemed (for lack of a better word) transparent. there is no big pay off.... so why am i so disturbed. the movie is about two 8 year old boys who are sexually abused by their baseball coach during one summer. then it shows how the two boys grew up and how that summer effected both of them.

that first bit was just very very offensive to watch - and i was even more disappointed when there wasn't any epiphany of any sort - hell there wasn't even an insight.

the only thing i got from the movie was 'child abuse is bad' - no shit. my suggestion - pass don't watch this movie. it'll only show you disturbing images of children being sexually abused - just to tell you it's bad. no bloodie shit.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Cinderella Man

LINKS :
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Trailer (apple.com)
Official Website (Universal)
Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
saw this the other day - it was good. not too much to say about it other then that. it's a ron howard flick - he has consistantly been putting out good movies and this is yet another.

i've added a plot synopsis from amazon.com - it says it all. the only reason i don't have a higher rating for this movie is... well, other then the fact that this movie is based on a real person (which is pretty cool) the storys been told a million times - and this is yet another re-telling.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Osama

LINKS :
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IMDB
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Trailer (apple.com)
Official Website (MGM)
Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
had heard alot about this movie - finally got it via netflixed and watched it the other day.

here's my review. it's a poorly shot movie with a really sad story. i say poorly shot because there isn't really anything exciting about the cinematography but the story itself is a sad one. it's about a 12 year old afghan girl, her mother and grandmother who has to live in a society run by the Taliban.

it's a story of oppression, of daily life in this part of the world and time. it's a very very sad movie. i saw the extra and learned some gems about this movie.

1. the girl playing the 12 year old Afghan girl never seen a movie or television. the girl grew up and has her own experiences with the Taliban.

2. the boy who helps her is also a street kid who was capturing stray dogs and selling them to people as pets.

the director wanted to have real people in his movie who brought with them real experiences.

3. the movie is based on / stiched together from real stories the director had heard / read. the real girl which the main story is based on was a girl who went to school - when the Taliban took over they forbade girls from attending school. she cut her hair and pretended to be a boy so she could attend school. the Taliban found out and the principle of that school was 'repremended' - it doesn't go into details of what happened to the principle.

if you've read some of my reviews i hate 'neat' hollywood endings - well this movie doesn't have one. it ends with a situation which makes you wonder what will happen to all the characters. it's a very realistic ending - which i'm guessing happens / happened.

the only reason the movie doesn't have a higher rating is because the movie feels like various stories stiched together and the cinematography wasn't great. other then that the story is an insightful sad one.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : De La Calle

LINKS :
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IMDB
Website (cinemexicano)
Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
picked this up from blockbusters - mainly cause the cover stated it had won 11 mexican academy awards.

watching this movie reminded me of 'City of God' and because of that comparision the review isn't higher.

here's my review. it's a story about a boy whose a delivery boy of drugs for corrupt cop(s) - he is accused of stealing and so he does. meaning he steals the money from the last delivery and sets out to leave the place with his girlfriend + her baby.

but before doing so he discovers his father is still alive and thus he starts looking for his father before leaving... what comes next is a journey to find his father interwined with daily life / survival. this journey reveals his desires and his realities. it's not a hollywood movie - meaning it doesn't have a 'neat' happy ending or heighted melodrama. the story plays out like something that might / could happen anywhere.

overall - very enjoyable (but sad). if you can't handle the violence of City of God i'd say watch this movie, BUT if you can handle violence then watch City of God instead.