Monday, October 10, 2011
Hachiko: A Dog Story – A true tale (and a true tearjerker)
Director: Lasse Hallstrom
Writer: Stephen Lindsey
Stars: Richard Gere, Joan Allen, Jason Alexander, Sarah Roemer
Rating: 4 stars
If you’re a dog lover, then Hachiko: A Dog Story is probably the best movie you should watch over the weekend. This film chronicles the life of Hachiko – from a cute pup to a very active and loyal canine. He’s shipped from Japan to someone in America but gets inadvertently lost in a crowded train station. That is where a college music professor Parker Wilson (played by Richard Gere) finds the pup.
The professor takes an instant liking to him and since no one’s willing to take care of the cute dog, least of all the station’s manager (Jason Alexander), he takes it home with him. The professor’s daughter (Sarah Roemer) is also immediately taken with the cuddly canine but the bad news is his wife (Joan Allen) does not want a pet in the house. So the professor is forced to get rid of the dog by offering it to friends and even distributing lost and found posters. But days go by and no one’s getting the dog out of his hands. Soon Hachiko (fondly called Hachi) grows more attached to the professor and vice versa and the wife, seeing the growing bond between the master and the dog, finally accepts the boisterous presence of Hachiko into their home.
As time passes by Hachiko becomes a constant companion to the professor. The dog does everything to be with the professor – either jumping over fences or digging under them to follow his master to the station where he regularly commutes. The professor eventually gives up in restraining the dog, until the two of them walking to and from train station becomes a familiar but always an interesting sight to passengers and locals. It becomes a routine: Hachiko walking the professor to the station, going home and then returning to the station to wait for the professor’s arrival at 5pm.
But then the professor suffers a fatal stoke and the professor’s daughter decides to take the dog to live with her and her husband. But Hachiko has other ideas. Unable to comprehend the situation, or perhaps unwilling to accept the fact that his master is gone, he escapes and lives along the railway. Every morning he walks to the station and goes there every afternoon at exactly 5pm to wait for the professor’s arrival. Hachiko sits and waits, facing the station’s doors, hoping to catch a glimpse of his master. He’s there as seasons change, patient and ever loyal as autumn leaves and snow fall around him.
I would not recommend this film for your children to watch without your guidance. It’s not some other dog stories, like Bolt or Beethoven, which would greatly entertain little tots. Hachiko: A Dog Story delves on “mature” topics, particularly death and loneliness, and this film will definitely saturate your tear ducts (my brother who considers himself a toughie admitted that he’s been a cry baby when he saw Hachiko). But very much suitable to children is the main message of this film – love, loyalty, and kinship.
This film was inspired by a true story originating from Japan in 1924 at the Shibuya train station. A bronze statue of Hachiko now stands at the station to recognize this dog’s unfailing loyalty to his master.
Hachiko: A Dog Story was released in US theaters in 2009. It was directed by Lasse Hallstrom, the helm behind critically-acclaimed films My Life As A Dog and The Cider House Rules.
When In Rome – An unforgettable film (well, sort of)
When In Rome – An unforgettable film (well, sort of)
Posted on January 25, 2011 by abigail
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Writers: Mark Steven Johnson, David diamond, David Weissman
Stars: Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Will Arnett, Jon Heder, Dax Sheppard, Danny Devito
Rating: 1 Star
There are two kinds of unforgettable films – those you won’t forget because of their cinematic greatness and then there are those that stick to the deepest recesses of your memory for their lameness. One such film of the latter kind is Touchstone Pictures’ release When In Rome. If you google the Top Ten Worst Films of 2010, When In Rome will definitely be on everyone’s list. It’s supposed to be a romantic comedy, but it falls short in eliciting laughs from the audience because of unfunny gags and trying-hard-to-be-funny characters.
The film is about a beautiful woman who excels in her career but sucks in the romance department. Sounds familiar, right? Only much-thought comedic sequences can compensate for such a trite plot, and unfortunately writer/director Mark Steven Johnson et al fail to come up with (not even) passably funny gags.
When In Rome stars Kristen Bell as art curator Beth and Duhamel as Nick Beamon, the hunky yet clumsy man who falls for pretty Beth. They seem to hit it off when they meet in the romantic city of Rome where Beth’s sister is getting married. And Beth, who apparently has given up finding the perfect partner, is willing to take a chance with Nick but catches him kissing a woman. Disappointed and drunk she frolics in the “fountain of love”, and there and then decides to take the coins plus a poker chip thrown by people who evidently want some romance luck. The result? The owners of the coins magically fall in love with her.
Instantly, she becomes the target of four ardent admirers played by Heder, Sheppard, Arnett, and DeVito. Her admirers follow her to New York resulting to (oftentimes mirthless) chaos until she discovers that to break the spell she has to return the coins to the owners. But, alas, the coins are stolen from her! Her mission? Take back the coins with the help of her suitors, and finally returns them to her enthusiastic groupie. And the poker chip? The chip is the catch in the story.
Beth, who realizes that she has fallen in love with Nick, thinks that the chip belongs to Nick and thus he’s never been truly in love with her. After some twists and turns, which fail to maneuver the film into an interesting rom-com ending, the couple finally ties the knot and good, ol’ Nick proves his love to Beth in the same fountain where it all started.
When In Rome is probably the reason why Duhamel acted like a douchebag late last year during his flight to Kentucky. He reportedly refused to turn off his phone after repeatedly being asked by the flight crew. Can’t blame the guy. I mean, if you starred in a film like When In Rome, you’d probably be in uncooperative mood for a long time.
Out of 5 stars, When In Rome receives a star. The rating is as puny as the car the characters have squeezed into in one of movie’s failed attempts to be funny.
Posted on January 25, 2011 by abigail
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Writers: Mark Steven Johnson, David diamond, David Weissman
Stars: Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Will Arnett, Jon Heder, Dax Sheppard, Danny Devito
Rating: 1 Star
There are two kinds of unforgettable films – those you won’t forget because of their cinematic greatness and then there are those that stick to the deepest recesses of your memory for their lameness. One such film of the latter kind is Touchstone Pictures’ release When In Rome. If you google the Top Ten Worst Films of 2010, When In Rome will definitely be on everyone’s list. It’s supposed to be a romantic comedy, but it falls short in eliciting laughs from the audience because of unfunny gags and trying-hard-to-be-funny characters.
The film is about a beautiful woman who excels in her career but sucks in the romance department. Sounds familiar, right? Only much-thought comedic sequences can compensate for such a trite plot, and unfortunately writer/director Mark Steven Johnson et al fail to come up with (not even) passably funny gags.
When In Rome stars Kristen Bell as art curator Beth and Duhamel as Nick Beamon, the hunky yet clumsy man who falls for pretty Beth. They seem to hit it off when they meet in the romantic city of Rome where Beth’s sister is getting married. And Beth, who apparently has given up finding the perfect partner, is willing to take a chance with Nick but catches him kissing a woman. Disappointed and drunk she frolics in the “fountain of love”, and there and then decides to take the coins plus a poker chip thrown by people who evidently want some romance luck. The result? The owners of the coins magically fall in love with her.
Instantly, she becomes the target of four ardent admirers played by Heder, Sheppard, Arnett, and DeVito. Her admirers follow her to New York resulting to (oftentimes mirthless) chaos until she discovers that to break the spell she has to return the coins to the owners. But, alas, the coins are stolen from her! Her mission? Take back the coins with the help of her suitors, and finally returns them to her enthusiastic groupie. And the poker chip? The chip is the catch in the story.
Beth, who realizes that she has fallen in love with Nick, thinks that the chip belongs to Nick and thus he’s never been truly in love with her. After some twists and turns, which fail to maneuver the film into an interesting rom-com ending, the couple finally ties the knot and good, ol’ Nick proves his love to Beth in the same fountain where it all started.
When In Rome is probably the reason why Duhamel acted like a douchebag late last year during his flight to Kentucky. He reportedly refused to turn off his phone after repeatedly being asked by the flight crew. Can’t blame the guy. I mean, if you starred in a film like When In Rome, you’d probably be in uncooperative mood for a long time.
Out of 5 stars, When In Rome receives a star. The rating is as puny as the car the characters have squeezed into in one of movie’s failed attempts to be funny.
Inception
Inception
Posted on January 31, 2011 by abigail
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tome Berenger, Michael Caine, Ken Watanabe
Rating: 4 stars
The first word that comes to mind after watching Inception is “cerebral”. This is not only because the film concerns the mind and the subconscious, but also due to the fact that it requires concentrated viewing and gray matter exertion. This means that you cannot nod off or else miss the gist of it and likely to say “I don’t follow”. It’s not like a Chuck Norris film when you only have to watch the last 5 minutes of it but still can precisely summarize the plot.
It’s hard to offer a plot summary of this film, and my advice is you have to see it in order to grasp and appreciate its cinematic genius. But let me give you a gist of this highly acclaimed sci-fi flick.
DiCaprio’s character Dom Cobb and his gang are dream invaders, “entering” the mind of their target to influence their action in the real world. Cobb is hired by an influential businessman Mr. Saito (Watanabe) to target the son of his competitor. At first Cobb rejects the proposal but Saito makes him an offer he cannot resist – re-entry to the United States for a chance to be with his children. Cobb has escaped the country as a wanted man for the death of his wife.
In the dream state is where the “real” action takes place, where time and space is manipulated. To make the plot more convoluted and interesting, there are the customary twists and turns. There is the state called “limbo”, wherein the dream invaders can fall into eternal slumber. There are also the “projections” aka Sub Cons, which are manifestations of people or objects of the dreamer’s subconscious mind. Basically what these Sub Cons do is to fight off trespassers, so much like the human body’s antibodies as they attack invaders.
Inception gives the audience great visuals, gravity-defying stunts, and mind-boggling plot. Oh, and nice suits, too – Gordon-Levitt looks (surprisingly) yummy in tux! Expect also a not-so-straightforward ending, which means you draw your own conclusion. Will Cobb’s totem – a top – stop spinning or not? A “totem” is the characters’ keepsake to distinguish between reality and dream. If the top continues on spinning, it means Cobb is in limbo. Up until now, online film forums are still agog with discussion about its final scene. This type of ending is also seen in Christopher Nolan’s 2001 film Memento, which starred Australian Guy Pearce. Memento is highly recognized for its multi-layered plot and innovative narration.
The only downside I see with Inception is its looong running time, that if not for the unbelievable stunts some viewers would have fallen asleep to maybe join Cobb and his gang in the dream state. Nolan’s films normally clock more than two hours (most remarkably the Batman projects), and Inception is definitely not an exception.
If you like The Matrix, you would definitely give a thumbs-up to Inception. And if online surveys are to be relied on, this movie could be the Oscars’ Best Picture this year. But I think it will have a tough time taking home the statue come awards night. My bet for that category is between Winter’s Bone and The King’s Speech.
Posted on January 31, 2011 by abigail
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tome Berenger, Michael Caine, Ken Watanabe
Rating: 4 stars
The first word that comes to mind after watching Inception is “cerebral”. This is not only because the film concerns the mind and the subconscious, but also due to the fact that it requires concentrated viewing and gray matter exertion. This means that you cannot nod off or else miss the gist of it and likely to say “I don’t follow”. It’s not like a Chuck Norris film when you only have to watch the last 5 minutes of it but still can precisely summarize the plot.
It’s hard to offer a plot summary of this film, and my advice is you have to see it in order to grasp and appreciate its cinematic genius. But let me give you a gist of this highly acclaimed sci-fi flick.
DiCaprio’s character Dom Cobb and his gang are dream invaders, “entering” the mind of their target to influence their action in the real world. Cobb is hired by an influential businessman Mr. Saito (Watanabe) to target the son of his competitor. At first Cobb rejects the proposal but Saito makes him an offer he cannot resist – re-entry to the United States for a chance to be with his children. Cobb has escaped the country as a wanted man for the death of his wife.
In the dream state is where the “real” action takes place, where time and space is manipulated. To make the plot more convoluted and interesting, there are the customary twists and turns. There is the state called “limbo”, wherein the dream invaders can fall into eternal slumber. There are also the “projections” aka Sub Cons, which are manifestations of people or objects of the dreamer’s subconscious mind. Basically what these Sub Cons do is to fight off trespassers, so much like the human body’s antibodies as they attack invaders.
Inception gives the audience great visuals, gravity-defying stunts, and mind-boggling plot. Oh, and nice suits, too – Gordon-Levitt looks (surprisingly) yummy in tux! Expect also a not-so-straightforward ending, which means you draw your own conclusion. Will Cobb’s totem – a top – stop spinning or not? A “totem” is the characters’ keepsake to distinguish between reality and dream. If the top continues on spinning, it means Cobb is in limbo. Up until now, online film forums are still agog with discussion about its final scene. This type of ending is also seen in Christopher Nolan’s 2001 film Memento, which starred Australian Guy Pearce. Memento is highly recognized for its multi-layered plot and innovative narration.
The only downside I see with Inception is its looong running time, that if not for the unbelievable stunts some viewers would have fallen asleep to maybe join Cobb and his gang in the dream state. Nolan’s films normally clock more than two hours (most remarkably the Batman projects), and Inception is definitely not an exception.
If you like The Matrix, you would definitely give a thumbs-up to Inception. And if online surveys are to be relied on, this movie could be the Oscars’ Best Picture this year. But I think it will have a tough time taking home the statue come awards night. My bet for that category is between Winter’s Bone and The King’s Speech.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
New Site/Sight for New Year
I aim to make the start of 2011 a productive so I (together with a friend) started this website called Film Factory which is, as it name implies, about films. Actually we started with the site last year but it's only this year that I was able to write articles, which are mostly movie reviews. Building it was a trial since my co-founder lives in Germany which is several oceans away from the Philippines, I think. LOL I'm not really good with directions. Well, anyway, I do hope our site will enjoy online visibility in the coming days.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
UP Profs vs Supreme Court (and vice versa)- Shame, shame, shame!
It's shameful that our Supreme Court has dismissed the suit of "comfort women" who for years have been seeking reparation from the Japanese government for atrocities done to them. Equally shameful is the fact that our SC has come up with a resolution that is plagiarized - it has quoted material from legal sources without attribution. UP law professors thought that's sooo wrong and unjust that they told Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo - the one who xeroxed the decision - to pack away his toga and quit his post. In retaliation the high court tries to charge the group with contempt. Enter the two Evans - Evan Fox-Decent and Evan Criddle (whose work the AJ has so meticulously plagiarized) expressing their support to the group saying that "Holding the UP Law Faculty in Contempt Would Be a Grave Mistake" as posted at http://opiniojuris.org/2010/10/26/holding-the-up-law-faculty-in-contempt-would-be-a-grave-mistake/. Shame, shame, shame!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Friendster vs Facebook in the Third World
Heard that Friendster is coming up with its Project Neutron, which basically turns the social networking site into a social gaming portal. Sure, as if Facebook isn't enough to cause us all carpal tunnel syndrome courtesy of its mouse click-hungry games. BTW, should I sue Facebook, Inc. for causing me CTS and caffeine overload? I think with this development House Resolution No. 184, which is aimed to regulate use of social networking sites in government agencies, should be passed into law ASAP.
I worked in a government agency for a year and I know for a fact how cyber activity of some public employees gobbles up a lot time and taxpayers' moolah. Government agencies should dissuade their workers from engaging in such activity. Maybe inform them via emails or twits? LOL. You see the irony?
FYI, the Philippines is no.7 in the world with the most number of Facebook users, and no. 1 with the most number of Friendster users, according to online sources. Perhaps the popularity of social and gaming portals, not to mention online dating sites, is due mainly to Filipinos attempting to escape Third World reality.
I worked in a government agency for a year and I know for a fact how cyber activity of some public employees gobbles up a lot time and taxpayers' moolah. Government agencies should dissuade their workers from engaging in such activity. Maybe inform them via emails or twits? LOL. You see the irony?
FYI, the Philippines is no.7 in the world with the most number of Facebook users, and no. 1 with the most number of Friendster users, according to online sources. Perhaps the popularity of social and gaming portals, not to mention online dating sites, is due mainly to Filipinos attempting to escape Third World reality.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Dumb and Dumber: FBI's take on WikiLeaks and Wikipedia
I was dumbfounded when I learned of FBI's latest headline-grabbing stint! Yahoo News reported that the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation has "threatened" to criminally prosecute Wikipedia - yes, the user-friendly, ad-free, free-for-all content source on the Net - for displaying the agency's seal. Apparently, the FBI imposes federal restrictions on the use of the image. Wikipedia's display image on its site, according to the legal representatives of the agency, "constitutes manufacturing, selling, or possessing such an insignia". I said "What?!" Didn't the FBI overreact where it shouldn't act at all? IMAO, the agency should delve into the WikiLeaks controversy rather than into something as trivial (and harmless, for crying out loud!) as the use of its seal. Maybe Nike should sue Wikipedia for displaying its swoosh on its pages. And, oh, the CIA too has its official emblem on Wikipedia, and maybe the intelligence agency could also legally threaten the site. LOL.
The WikiLeaks documents and videos, I heard, are bound to imperil the lives of military informants and personnel particularly those serving the US and Australian governments in their peace and counter-terrorism efforts. So the FBI should zoom into the matter, and put into good use the taxpayers' money.
The WikiLeaks documents and videos, I heard, are bound to imperil the lives of military informants and personnel particularly those serving the US and Australian governments in their peace and counter-terrorism efforts. So the FBI should zoom into the matter, and put into good use the taxpayers' money.
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