Stranger Than Fiction

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Comedy

Harold Crick is a boring man. He counts the number of times he brushes his teeth. He counts his steps on the way to the bus stop, and he’s even timed exactly how long it takes him to have lunch before going back to his work for the I.R.S. One particular day, Harold wakes up and suddenly starts hearing a voice in his head. The voice, Harold realizes, is narrating Harold’s life while he lives it. Fearing he’s lost his mind, Harold really panics when the voice says that he will soon face an untimely demise. That, in a nutshell, is “Stranger Than Fiction”.

I’m a huge Will Ferrell fan. I’ve seen most of his films, and I’ve even gotten the “Saturday Night Live: Best of Will Ferrell Volumes 1 and 2” on DVD. It was thus a bit of a shock, and a pleasant surprise, for me to see Ferrell play the awkward, shy, and boring Harold. His boredom gives way to a feeling of neuroses when he begins to hear author Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson) narrating his life. Yet I never stopped rooting for Harold in this film. When confronted with his imminent demise, you even root for him more so that he’ll ultimately find a way to survive.

Director Marc Forster does fine work in presenting us the story of Harold and the novel that he’s inadvertently starring in. With quirky graphics that pop up when Harold counts or even weird camera angles (like an angle from inside Harold’s mouth!), we get some insight into what it’s like to actually be Harold. Consider “Stranger Than Fiction” a bit of a cross between “The Truman Show” and “Being John Malkovich”. But this film ably stands on its own because of the great script by Zach Helm, as well as the brilliant acting by the ensemble cast.

Emma Thompson’s Karen Eiffel is another quirky character integral to this film. She’s a brilliant novelist, but she always finds a peculiar way of killing her main characters Unfortunately, she’s suddenly suffering from writer’s block, and it’s up to somebody from her publishing house named Penny Escher (Queen Latifah) to help her clear her mind.

As Prof. Hilbert, Dustin Hoffman plays probably the most subdued character here. He’s trying to help Harold figure out why and how he’s hearing this narrative while also teaching classes and being a volunteer lifeguard. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Ana Pascal, a baker who hasn’t paid her taxes because she disagrees with the government. When Harold audits her, he feels an attraction towards her. He’s not sure how to go forward though, as they are clearly polar opposites. Yet it is those differences that make them a fun couple to begin with, and it is so charming the way they slowly begin their little relationship.

Quirky dramas with a bit of comedy are becoming more commonplace nowadays. With films such as “In Good Company” and the aforementioned “The Truman Show” as perfect examples. I bought the DVD of “Stranger Than Fiction” not really knowing what to expect, only knowing that Will Ferrell was the star. I must say though that I was very, very happy that I did take the time to buy this film.

Jo and I were kind of annoyed because the DVD of “The Holiday” that I bought had German dialogue in the middle of the film (long story), so we were looking to just watch something light last Sunday. Luckily, this was one of the films I came to her house with, and we both enjoyed the film. Will Ferrell doesn’t need to play Ron Burgundy or Frank the Tank all the time to get a good laugh, he’s too good a comedian for that. Just give him a smart script, and watch the magic happen. “Stranger Than Fiction” has that magic, and a whole lot of quirkiness too… but that’s a good thing.

Curse of the Golden Flower

Rating:	★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Action & Adventure

Perhaps it is a sign of the times, but in my view, “Curse of the Golden Flower” was underwhelming. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by previous martial arts epics like “Hero,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Kung-fu Hustle” or even “Fearless”, but I was expecting a lot out of director Zhang Yimou’s latest effort. The trailers promised an epic on a huge scale, with warrior armies clashing wearing colorful standards and bludgeoning one another when not engaging in martial arts. Instead, I saw a clearly dysfunctional imperial family who couldn’t work out their issues in private and instead did it on a grand scale.

Empress Phoenix (Gong Li) is sick. She’s been taking medicine that her husband, Emperor Ping (Chow Yun-Fat) has ordered her to take, but she’s feeling even weaker than before. She’s also got a secret: she’s been having an illicit affair with her stepson, Prince Wan (Liu Ye). The prince is in love with Chan (Li Man) and feels he is unfit to rule once the emperor dies. The emperors’ other two sons, Jai (Jay Chou) and Yu (Qin Junjie) also have a stake in the dangerous game between the empress and the emperor. Each maneuvers themselves for a shot at emerging victorious and ruling China.

In a film such as this, the first thing that must be commended, as always, is the production design. The vibrant colors in and around the palace, as well as the costumes of the actors clearly add to the depth of the film. Sadly, they may be the only thing adding any depth to this film. For a movie that has been clearly packaged as a “martial arts” film, it took the filmmakers a large amount of time to even get to a single fight scene! The plot plodded along ever slowly, I found myself falling asleep in Jo’s den while awaiting the first punch to be thrown. Granted that Gong Li is as breathtakingly beautiful as ever and that Chow Yun-Fat still commands a great imperial presence onscreen, I wanted my action, dammit!

Yes, all the costumes and pretty colors were very impressive. When they finally got around to fighting, I was amped for it, I was excited! Sadly, the film just fell flat on it’s face. I don’t know, maybe I was hoping we’d have a Yuen Woo-ping type of fight with invisible wires and slo-motion action. But what “Golden Flower” gave us was pretty straightforward swordsmanship and a few martial arts poses. After director Zhang’s fantastic “Hero” in 2002, I was a bit disappointed in 2004’s “House of Flying Daggers”. I can add “Curse of the Golden Flower” to his disappointments.

What is it with martial arts movies these days? Jo and I caught “The Banquet” a few months back, and that also had incestuous relations or semi-incestuous relations between Chinese royals. I mean, that’s gross enough as it is, but the least they could have done was given us some memorable fight scenes! It’s been a few days since I saw “Golden Flower”, and I can’t really recall any fight scene that got me jumping. Such a shame for such a promising trailer.

The Pursuit of Happyness

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Drama

To call “The Pursuit of Happyness” a sad movie would be oversimplifying things. This film based on the book of the same title was the autobiography of Chris Gardner. Gardner is a self-made millionaire, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker, but you wouldn’t know that when you begin watching this film. If you’re expecting a movie where Will Smith makes tons of wisecracks and uses a big gun, you’re watching the wrong film. Smith has been stretching his acting muscles recently, proof of which can be seen in works like “Ali” and “The Legend of Bagger Vance”, but “Happyness” proves to be his toughest acting challenge yet.

Chris Gardner is down-on-his-luck. He’s a salesman who is trying to recoup money he invested in purchasing bone density scanners to re-sell them to medical professionals. Chris and wife Linda (Thandie Newton) are raising a son, Christopher (Smith’s real son Jaden Smith), and are barely making ends meet. When Chris tries to switch careers and explore being a stock broker, Linda leaves him. Down to his last few dollars, Chris has to muster all of his courage, effort and intelligence to make life bearable for his young son, even if he has to live off welfare to do it. But will all his sacrifices pay off in the end?

This is not a light movie by any means. In fact, it can get downright depressing by the middle of the film. As Jo’s dad told us, Smith’s Gardner is almost like local action hero Fernando Poe, Jr.: he gets beaten up throughout a film before rising up and winning in the end. Smith already proved he had acting chops before, but he really makes you feel the pain and the unbelievable bad luck that happens to Gardner. It is heartbreaking to watch Gardner and son suffer through eviction from their home, to having his money taken by the IRS, to sleeping in a bathroom. I found myself wondering how much worse life could get for this father and son.

Will Smith really immerses himself in his role as the struggling Chris Gardner. It becomes a true test of his character to not just break down and give up completely on the cards dealt to him. Thandie Newton as Linda isn’t a one-dimensional caricature here either. Removing her real-life Australian accent, Newton looks and feels like life has beaten her up so much that the only option left for her is to walk out on Chris and Christopher. Though it would be a stretch to say Jaden Smith acted well in this film, the young man does well for himself whenever onscreen. Credit his acting genes from dad Will and mom Jada Pinkett for acting coming naturally to him.

I’m not going to sugarcoat things and say you’re going to have a smile on your face throughout this film. Though the real Chris Gardner finally did turn things around and make good, the film seems to take forever to get to his happy place. By the way, the title is spelled that way because a sign outside young Christopher’s daycare center is spelled wrongly. Yes, Gardner’s struggle and story is inspirational. There is no doubt that a smaller man would never have made it through those trials. Credit should be given to him for seeing the light at the end of an unbelievably long tunnel and never wavering in his pursuit of that light. Credit should also be given to Smith for giving a more than credible performance here.

Now forgive me as I look for an episode of “Frasier” on DVD to lift my spirits back up.

The Mythology Class

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Comics & Graphic Novels
Author:	Arnold Arre

The Philippines, like the rest of the world, is a country steeped in myths and legends. For all the great stories we have heard on Greek gods and Egyptian deities, our native culture has some amazing stories of our own. Ours is a land filled with diwatas, tikbalangs, and enkantos. Who among us hasn’t heard these stories growing up? When reading Arnold Arre’s graphic novel “The Mythology Class”, I cannot help but reminisce back to my childhood. I, as most Filipinos, first heard of the kapre, the manananggal, and the nuno sa punso when I was just a child. Arre brilliantly mixes these native legends and brings them to the forefront, making them as real today as they were when they roamed the land.

The University of the Philippines has long been acknowledged as a place where freedom of thought is encouraged. Though every school claims their own share of weirdness within their walls, U.P. and it’s alumni seem to have even wilder stories than the rest of us. It is within the State University that this story begins. Certain students experience similar dreams: that of a ghostly woman seemingly calling out to them to sign up for some class in school. As each is drawn to Krus na Ligas near the U.P. campus, this eclectic group finds themselves wondering what brought them here in the first place.

Bookworm Nicole Lacson is the central character of this mini-series. She had long lived in the fantastic stories her late lolo had told her as a child. Joining her is a huge cast of characters. Lane, Lisa, Angie, Edward, Bob, Gio, Rey, Sam, Gina, and Misha comprise the group who sign up for Ms. Enkanta’s mythology class. Mrs. Enkanta serves as both teacher and mother figure for them, and she is assisted by Aili, Sulayman, and Kubin, ancient warriors who must hunt down the enkantos who are terrorizing Bathala’s land. Along the way, each discovers not just power within them but a love and respect for their teammates as well.

Arre shines in this collected edition of his original 1999 mini. Though drawn completely in black and white, the visuals come across as even more powerful, even raw as the color has been taken away. Think of it like an old black and white movie. Almost film noir-ish in tone. The author taps into so many native legends and beliefs that one might fear that he would lose sight of the main cast. Happily, he never does. At the heart of the heroes’ quest to contain all evil is Nicole. She who has long dwelled in her lolo’s stories now finds herself as part of them. She also finds love in the arms of one of these mythic heroes, revealed to still be a man who yearns for love.

To see the breadth and scope of Arre’s work is breathtaking. He not only captures characters and their personalities, he even shows a mastery of scenery. From showing actual places like the U.P. campus, to lands of make believe and fictional structures like “the Plaza of the Gods”, Arre’s attention to detail is astounding. For a fellow Filipino to excel in such a medium warms my heart. Even as big comic companies like DC and Marvel have tapped Filipinos Whilce Portacio, Leinil Francis Yu, and Gerry Alanguilan, it is refreshing to see Arre still writing and penciling his own work, incorporating Filipino settings. “The Mythology Class” is an opus in graphic art, and Arre emerges as its master conductor.

Music and Lyrics

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Romantic Comedy

As any self-respecting child of the 1980s will tell you, Wham! was a great band. George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley were one of the biggest pop acts of the decade, and everybody loved their upbeat music and fun videos. Even as Michael embarked on a solo career, many have wondered whatever happened to Ridgeley a.k.a. “the other guy from Wham!”. That serves as the basis for the film “Music and Lyrics”.

Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) is washed up. He was part of the super group Pop! back in the 1980s, but his partner Colin Thompson (Scott Porter) left for a successful solo career. Now, Alex is making money of retro gigs where his one-time young fanbase still pays good money to watch him sing the oldies. Still, he’d like nothing better than to write and perform some new songs. Unfortunately, he hasn’t written any new stuff in years. When Alex’s manager Chris Riley (Brad Garrett) tells Alex of a chance to write a song for young pop diva Cora Corman (Haley Bennett), the pressure is on for Alex to come up with a winner. When Sophie (Drew Barrymore), the girl who waters his plants, inadvertently starts filling in the blanks for his song, Alex convinces Sophie to help him finish the song.

Hugh Grant is perfect as has-been musician Alex. Grant has always been great at playing self-deprecating Englishmen with a dry sense of humor. He had long ago accepted that he was washed up, but still enjoys performing. Meeting Sophie makes him realize that he still enjoys writing good music too. Barrymore has made a career out of being “the pretty, funny girl” in romantic comedies. Her neurotic and artistic Sophie Fisher fits into traditional Barrymore heroines: funny, vulnerable, flawed, and irresistible. Though both of these actors have had their share of successes in this genre before, they had never worked together. If this film is any indication, they should continue to do so.

“Music and Lyrics” is a fun and insightful look into the creative process. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a song, it can be an essay, or a sculpture, or a painting. There is magic that happens when all the elements are there to create that perfect work of art. Sure, revisions are made and rare is the occasion when you put everything down in just one draft, but the process that results in that final piece is part of the fun. As excruciating and tiring that process may be, the result would not be as great if you didn’t go through the process.

Sophie and Alex spend days writing, plodding, nitpicking, and just talking to come up with one song. Later in the film, faced with heartbreak, Alex seems to write a song much faster. There is no science to it, but the thing about songwriting (and other creative processes) is that it has to be real. If you don’t feel it, people will see right through it.

That’s what “Music and Lyrics” is all about to me. Alex had to write something that was true, and people recognized how good it was. Sophie dubbed it as “dinner”, something better than a mere appetizer. And when these two joined forces for both a song and for a relationship, the end result is scrumptious. Add to that the hilarious 80s references and Hugh Grant’s silly dancing, and you have a movie that is both hilarious and surprisingly, insightful. It’s a welcome break from the unusually large amount of big and depressing movies recently.

Ghost Rider

Rating:	★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Action & Adventure

Let me just say first of all that I’m a Ghost Rider fan. I used to collect “Ghost Rider” comics in the 90s, I even collected the spinoff series “Spirits of Vengeance” because I loved the image of a biker with a flaming skull. Though I was a fan of Danny Ketch as the Ghost Rider, I was very aware of Johnny Blaze’s story as the first man to ride the flaming motorcycle. When Nicolas Cage signed up to play Johnny Blaze in the current film version of “Ghost Rider”, I was kind of taken aback. After all, Cage is a huge comic book fan. He even owned copies of Action Comics #1 and Detective Comics #27 (Superman’s and Batman’s first appearances respectively) before his home was burglarized. Cage desperately wanted to play Superman on the big screen in the 90s, but things fell through. Thus, he settled for another popular choice: Ghost Rider.

The plot is pretty straightforward and faithful to the comics. Johnny Blaze sells his soul to the devil to save his father’s life. Of course, since he’s the devil, he still finds a way to screw Johnny over anyway. Barton Blaze dies and Mephistopheles (Peter Fonda) promises to collect on Johnny’s promise. Years later, Johnny has become a big time stuntman, performing death-defying leaps on his motorcycle. But when Mephisto comes calling, Johnny becomes the embodiment of the spirit of vengeance, the Ghost Rider!

Comics have become such a popular source material for movies in recent years that people can’t help but compare comic-related films. On the high end there’s the “Spider-Man” trilogy, the “X-Men” films, “Batman Begins”, and “Superman Returns”. On the low end there’s “Daredevil”, “Elektra”, and “Hulk”. So where does “Ghost Rider” fall on the spectrum? Just a few steps above the bottom end. Let me qualify this first by saying that we missed the first part of the film. Jo and I made it to Johnny’s first transformation. But the half of the movie that we did see was just rancid. I mean, the special effects were nice, and the Rider himself looked cool but the dialogue! How many levels of cheese can one put into a film?

What the hell was wrong with Marvel Films? I mean, “Daredevil” was such a bad film, why did they go back to the same director to handle another project? This guy can’t write coherent scripts without resorting to clichés and bad dialogue! I had to convince Jo that “Ghost Rider” wasn’t a badly written comic and hope that this film hasn’t completely turned her off comic-related movies in the future.

I almost forgot that Nic Cage once won an Oscar for “Leaving Las Vegas”. I mean, you don’t really have to act too much when you transform into a flaming skull, but Cage really went over the top during his transformation. And let’s not even bother with Eva Mendes. Her portrayal of Johnny’s girlfriend Roxanne Simpson made me want to set my head on fire. Pardon my French, but she can’t act for shit. I liked Mendes in “Hitch” and I’ve read interviews where she comes off as a genuinely nice and funny person, but she really needs to take acting classes if she wants to keep making movies!

Wes Bentley as Blackheart is supposed to be the son of Mephisto. He’s supposed to be menacing and scary, and every bad thing rolled into one. Sadly, he wasn’t any of these things. As cool as it was to see former biker icon Fonda as Mephisto, he still didn’t seem menacing or evil enough to want to see Ghost Rider take him down. Sam Elliott as the Caretaker could have easily traded places with Kris Kristofferson’s Whistler character in the “Blade” trilogy. That southern drawl was sometimes so inaudible that half the time he spoke, I was wondering if he had something in his mouth.

Don’t let the box office results fool you into buying “Ghost Rider” movie tickets. This is a really bad movie, and it would be an absolute waste of time and money for you to go to a moviehouse and sit through 1 and ½ hours of this drivel. Such a waste for such a great comic icon.

The Messengers

Rating:	★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Horror

When the Pang Brothers released “The Eye” in 2002, they were hailed as visionaries, heroes of Asian horror cinema. Together with “The Ring” and “The Grudge”, we all marveled at how fellow Asians could send chills down our collective spines. Now, Danny and Oxide Pang have directed their first American movie, “The Messengers”. I’ll admit that I was curious about this film due to what I had heard about the Pang Brothers’ reputation. Having never really sat down to watch “The Eye”, I felt that I could give a pretty unbiased opinion of “The Messengers” while also hoping for a scary movie that would at least creep me out in the dark. Sad to say, I left the cinema disappointed.

The film begins with a flashback as members of the Rawlins family are cowering in fear in the face of unseen attacker(s). Each family member is pulled violently from one another and we’re left wondering what creepy crawlies have attacked them. Fast forward to the present as Roy (Dylan McDermott) and Denise (Penelope Ann Miller) move from the Chicago to rural Wisconsin. They’re bringing along Jess (Kristen Stewart), their daughter who had a recent run-in with the law and son Ben (twins Evan and Theodore Turner), a child who has been rendered mute. Roy has been unemployed for years and is moving the family to try out farming. Unfortunately for them, they’ve moved into the Rawlins’ old home.

Of course you already know what happens from there. Family moves in. Oldest daughter starts noticing creepy things happening in house. Deaf-mute kid starts seeing all the creepy stuff nobody else can. Parents don’t believe daughter. Parents hire mysterious stranger to help in the harvest. Oldest daughter starts to think she’s losing her mind. Blah-blah-blah. See, that’s what’s wrong with “The Messengers”, we’ve seen it all before. Sure, the effects have improved and the sound effects are nastier, but it’s the same old horror flick!

I watched this with my pal Oliver and I’ll admit it, we were creeped out early in the movie. We were twitching in our seats and getting jumpy in the parts where you’re supposed to react accordingly. Unfortunately, around 75% into the movie, there’s one big reveal that completely took the fear out of the film. And for that one thing to do that, it just completely deflated “The Messengers” for us. That’s not just disappointing, for a horror movie, that’s downright criminal. A good horror movie should have you scared for at least 90% of the film, not just 75%.

And they didn’t even explain who it was the title was referring to! Who are “the messengers”? Was it the crazy crows? The dead Rawlins family? Ben the kid who sees ghosts? There was never even an implied explanation for it!

The Pang Brothers are obviously good in their craft of making horror movies. They have a good feel for manipulating what the audience can’t see and use sound effects to heighten tensions. Too bad that their script had such a glaring loophole that I felt just left a giant donut in the middle of the movie. With that in mind, here’s hoping the brothers learn from this experience and that their next foray into horror leaves no looming plotholes.

Flushed Away

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Kids & Family

Who would’ve thought life in the sewers would be so grand? In “Flushed Away,” Roddy St. James is a house pet in the Kensington district of London. He lives in comfort in a large cage, and when his owners are away, has full run of the house he lives in. Yet Roddy can’t escape the feeling of loneliness that creeps in. When a sewer rat by the name of Sid pushes Roddy literally down the toilet, life as Roddy knew it was about to end. Until he discovered that the dirtiest, nastiest place he could think of might just be the place where he truly belongs.

For anyone familiar with the “Wallace & Gromit” short films and full length claymation feature, “Flushed Away” is from the same makers, Aardman Productions. They are also the company behind the popular film “Chicken Run”. That being said, this particular film can stand independently of its predecessors and is successful for being what all great animated films are: colorful and funny enough for kids yet irreverent enough and smart enough for adults.

An all-star cast lends their voice talents to the film, led by Hugh Jackman (Roddy), Kate Winslet (Rita the tough girl), Ian McKellen (The Toad), Jean Reno (Le Frog), Bill Nighy (Whitey), and Andy Serkis (Spike).

This is also a bit of a departure for Aardman, as “Flushed Away” wasn’t shot via claymation as their previous projects were. Apparently, since a large portion of the movie would feature water, the producers realized how difficult water can be when put through the claymation process. Thus, Aardman went CGI, but the film still retains some Aardman trademarks. These include the bug-eyed characters, the dry British wit, and the dedication to detail.

When Roddy falls down the sewer, he fumbles his way into the life of Rita, a tough girl who’s just trying to do right by her huge family. Unfortunately, this gets Rita the unwanted attention of mob boss “The Toad” and his henchmen Spike and Whitey. Toad has some diabolical plans in store for all the rats living under London as part of an elaborate scheme to get back at all rats. It’s up to Roddy and Rita to figure out how to stop The Toad, as well as to reassess just how happy they really are in their separate spaces.

For an animated film, “Flushed Away” makes no pretensions. This isn’t a huge Disney film or a CGI-extravaganza ala-Pixar. It is just a movie about talking rats and frogs who just happen to have human traits. As silly as that sounds, it’s what makes the film such a joy to begin with. Jackman’s Roddy is as stuck up as he is lonely. He enjoys lording it over the lifeless dolls in the mansion and can’t stand sewer rats like Sid. But when he sees Rita and the warmth of her family, he can’t help but feel that maybe his life is severely lacking.

Winslet’s performance is largely forgettable, but it’s McKellen who really steals the movie. His Toad is so over the top that you can imagine the man who played Magneto really going to town during the voice recording sessions. Reno also cracks me up, not just because he’s Jean Reno, but also because he hams up playing the French Le Frog as well. Of course, the movie could have been bigger as far as action and effects goes, but at least it didn’t set itself up to be a disappointment like “Shark Tale” or “Open Season” or “The Wild”. All of those were heavily pushed and ended up largely as box-office bombs. Though Aardman’s partnership with Dreamworks is near its end, I’m thankful that before that happens, they were able to come together for a fun film like “Flushed Away”.