Documentary Review: The Imposter [2012]

This is my first time reviewing documentary. The last documentary I saw was An Inconvenient Truth but for academic purposes and not because of curiosity. I think I shall do this more often since The Imposter was outstanding.

Director Bart Layton gives a look at one specific case of Frédéric Bourdin who pretended to be a 16-year-old Texas missing teenager Nicolas Barclay - disappeared at the age of 13 from San Antonio, Texas on June 13, 1994. Three years later, Spanish police gets a call of tourists informing about a sixteen-year-old boy who refuses to get into contact with other people. They assumed that he was an American despite the lack of any identity. Police brought the guy in department for more information, but he did not seem to be very talkative. He was transferred to orphanage, where Frederic told everyone that he was kidnapped from the United States and hold as a hostage in Spain more than three years. Bourdin somehow (and you shall see movie to understand that) convinced everyone that, at the actual age of 23, he was a 16-year-old american boy.

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Movie Review: Rear Window [1954]

Have you ever spied upon your neighbors? 

Rear Window is Alfred Hitchcock's movie about a habit which is very common for people, mostly in the years of childhood. I, personally, always had that obsession of watching my neighbors, because it always felt visionary.

Main character Jeff (James Stewart) is a photographer sitting in a wheelchair with broken leg, bored without job and trying to make his mind busy. And yeah, it's 90 Fahrenheit outside. But wait, everything is not that bad, as it is described: he's got a great view on the windows of neighbors and a love of beautiful lady Lisa (Grace Kelly). Jeff tries to entertain himself by shadowing on families living their lives in front of his windows. He sees many different stories of different people but only one of them grabs his attention - a sudden disappearance of sick lady. He tries to convince himself that her husband - a middle aged salesman killed wife and carried her body away the apartment at night. Eventually, he involves Lisa and nurse Stella in investigations and they together solve the puzzle. 

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Movie Review: Identity Thief [2013]

I just watched Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy amazing duo film Identity Thief, which was nice to see, averagely hilarious comedy film of 2013.

Movie is about a man with unisex (that's how he calls it) name Sandy Patterson (Bateman) and Diana (McCarthy) who steals other people's identities to live the way she always wanted. One day she calls Sandy as a social worker and due to the security purposes asks for his social security number, full date of birth and name. As she sounds very confident Patterson gives all the requested information and Diana get BINGO. 

But everything goes wrong when she is caught by police for disturbing public order in Miami and police warrant goes to real Patterson to Denver. Than he learns about missing thousands of dollars from his bank account and the same time loses job. Since Colorado police dept has not jurisdiction over the crimes in Florida, real Sandy travels to bring fake Sandy to his hometown to prove his innocence. 

And story begins here, however I'm not going to tell this...

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Movie Review: Crash [2004]

"I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something"

Crash is one of the most surprising Academy Award winners of all time. When Jack Nicholson opened the envelope  he was shocked because could not find there Brokeback Mountain. Well, that is not right, Crash was definitely worth of Oscar, despite my huge love to Ang Lee's drama.

Paul Haggis narrates the outline of everyday life of most people, everything that is common for any society - hatred, stereotypes, death, victims, unpunished offenders and most important, influence we make on each others lives, which can be unconscious, accidental or intended. Extraordinarily written script evolves through 36 hours of L.A. life connecting number of random citizens. A story of racism is not new thing to tell, there are more recent films (for instance The Help) that specifically regards the problem of every generation. But even this hundred times discussed issue can not decay originality of script because Crash interacts people with exceptional cultural, racial or social backgrounds and they all have same problems and as it turns out they ain't that much different from each other.

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Movie Review: Life of Pi [2012]

"Very few castaways can claim to have survived so long, and none in the company of an adult Bengal tiger"
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"May I call it 2nd AVATAR?!"
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Film that can be reviewed ONLY with photos © ME

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Academy Award winner director Ang Lee filmed a book Life of Pi which mostly considered to be not compatible with screening. Last night I finally saw it in 3D theater and things I watched goes beyond the sense of good film making, this was absolutely brilliant.

Without a spoiler alert I could say that the movie tells a story of Pi - boy trying to survive in the open ocean with Bengal tiger (Richard Parker). He has lost everyone since tragic accident on the ship that delivered his family and the whole zoo previously owned by his father.

Life of Pi is visually stunning film, probably one of the top 5 most beautiful colored films ever. For me, it tied with James Cameron's Avatar is most brilliant work of cinematographer. First thing you notice is amazing pattern of colors in the opening scene of Zoo and outstanding 3D effects. Everything seems so natural, motley and refined that I felt each detail on the screen. There is a moment, when tiger jumps to hyena, that actually frightened me to death.

Movie has kind of two parts: Pi's life in India and Pi's life in ocean. Well, the last one is truly more astonishing however even the sights of Delhi are gorgeous. Production Design is subtle, colorful and very imaginary. I could not tear my eyes away from the screen. And visual effects. Ah, outstanding! Check out photos below to imagine how good it was:

Visual Effect - Bengal Tiger

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Movie Review: Dans La Maison (In the House) [2012]

"Most original and imaginary film of the year with easy to follow but complex story"

Directed by: Francois Ozon

Dans La Maison (aka In the House) is a film that will definitely test your imagination and ability to follow the movie because it is very hard to draw line between reality and imaginary story.

Claude Garcia is a sixteen-year-old student of 8th grade who gets an assignment in French literature - essay: how I spend weekends. Claude tells a story how he managed to get in the house of his dreams - a house of classmate named Rapha, by suggesting him a help with math. Teacher, Mr. Germain, gives him a grade of 4 and puts the writing away. However, next day comes a new story, which sounds more weird, as long as Garcia describes his feelings towards Rapha's mother, how he observed their house long before that time and how he planned becoming a member of Artole's family. Mr. Germain decides that everything in Garcia's writings is just an outcome of his fantasy and assumes that he has a brilliant chance to become a good writer. Therefore intends to help him in improvement of skills and building story line up. Claude does his job better and better, day by day. He becomes so much perfect that every single word reads like a reality and one day professor starts to seek evidence to find out whether those stories are real or not. Results of findings are shocking - Garcia's records are nothing but truth - he chronologically tells about friend's family.

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My Favorite Academy Award Shows

Poster created by designer Olly Moss who works with Gallery1988

This happens every single year - we are counting days until the Oscars. Maybe mostly because of nominee and winner films, our favorite actors, directors, writers and movies. But once the ceremony is over we always discuss the show itself. Which means that entertaining part is way too important.

Honestly, I clearly remember only last 7 Academy Awards and probably my picks won't be universal, however I still want to list some of my favorites.

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