CHANGELING

Title : Changeling

Cast : Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan, Gattlin Griffith, Michael Kelly

Genre : Drama

Rating : Very good!

Pic : wikipedia.org

Synopsis:

In 1928, Walter Collins (Gattlin Griffith) son of a single mother, Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) was found missing. Rev. Gustav Briegleb (Malkovich) publicizes Christine's plight and rails against the LAPD for its incompetence, corruption and the extrajudical punishment. After 5 months, LAPD informs Catherine that her son is found. But at the reunited day, Catherine finds out that the boy is not Walter. Capt. Jones (Jeffrey Donovan) assured her that the boy is Walter and to bring him home on trial basis.

Catherine confronts Jones with the difference appearance and insists him to keep looking for her missing son, Jones then sends a doctor. The doctor explains the height difference and circumcision of Walter and the boy, through his medical theory. Rev. Berglieb (John Malkovich) meets Catherine and warn her that LAPD is trying to dicredit her. Catherine meets Walter's dentist and teacher and they support her by agreeing that the boy is not Walter. After speaking to reporters, states that she has proves that the found boy is not Walter, Jones orders to put Christine to phychopathic ward in county hospital. While in the hospital Catherine finds many women being kept in the asylum due to police problem.

Ybarra (Michael Kelly) headed to Wineville to arrange deportation of 15 year old Canadian boy, Stanford Clark, later Stanford confests that he was being forced by his uncle Gordon Northcott to kidnap and murder 20 children. Ybarra gives him several photos and ask Stanford to identify his victims among the missing children, then he takes Stanford back to Wineville and the boy shows him where he burried the children's body.
Rev. Briegleb secures Catherine's relase by showing The Wineville slaughter and Walter possibly one of the victim. The police capture Northcott at his sister's house in Canada.

Comments:

I have to admit this is the best film i saw ^_^, very touching and thrilling. Moreover this is a true story, i read that Walter Collins was never found. A very emotional film, and a different side of Angelina's acting. I encourage you to watch this movie!

Fun facts:

• The film is shipped to some theaters under the name "Nomad"
• Clint Eastwood agreed to direct the same afternoon he read the script.
• Some scenes were filmed at a train station in San Bernardino during the 2007 California brush fires. The whole set was thick with fire smoke.
• The hanging scene at the end appeared to be filmed in part of the old Alcatraz prison. The man running the execution is Jim Quillen, former inmate at Alcatraz and now author of books about his stay at the famous prison. He is uncredited in the film.
• Detective Ybarra uses the term "serial killer." The phrase was coined by FBI Special Agent Robert Ressler in the 1970s, and entered popular use a few years later.
• The night before he disappears, Walter expresses his disappointment about missing a broadcast of "Amos 'n' Andy." The first "Amos 'n' Andy" broadcast was on March 19, 1928, ten days after Walter disappeared.
• Jeffrey Donovan's left ear is pierced, which was not acceptable for a police officer anywhere in 1928.
• On March 9, 1928, Christine says they might see "The Mysterious Airman" the next day. The movie was released June 1, 1928.
• Electroshock therapy is a strong jolt of electricity (up to 10,000 Volts) sent through brain. There are no dials to turn, and it doesn't hurt. A patient undergoing such treatment becomes unconscious immediately.
• imdb.com
  

KNOWING

Title : Knowing

Cast : Nicholas Cage, Chandler Catenbury, Rose Byrne, Lara Robinson

Genre : Adventure, Science Fiction

Rating : Nice with bad ending!

Pic : wikipwdia.org

Synopsis:

In 1959, the new opening William Dawes elementary school use a student's idea to remark the day with a time capsule. The capsule will be filled with drawings of students and will be open after 50 years. One of the students, Lucinda Embry, writes lines of number instead of pictures.
In 2009, Caleb Koestler (Chandler Canterbury), whose father is a professor at MIT, received Lucinda's letter. Caleb's father, John (Nicolas Cage) accidentally find the meaning of Lucinda's number lines. At the end, he finds that all the numbers show accident dates and numbers of victims occur in the past 50 years, and according to Lucinda, 3 fatal accidents are going to happen. Meanwhile, Caleb is starting to receive visits of strangers and hear voices.

John is trying to convince his colleague, Phil, that they will face major disasters, but it comes to no avail. While searching to Lucinda, John meets her daughter, Diana (Rose Byrne). After train crash in the subway, Diana agrees to help John. They visit Lucinda's home and find strange rocks, Caleb and Abby (Lara Robinson), Diana's daughter, being left in the car and once again strangers come to visit them. While trying to solve Lucinda's last line, John then find out that the earth will face a doomsday. The sun is forecast to have a super flare, which will burn 3-4 planets around. Diana is panic and brings Abby and Caleb to evacuate and left John to solve Lucinda's last message.

Comments:

I almost chose Knowing for my best movie of the first quarter, but the end of the movie was really disappointing. It's almost the same watching Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull or The Forgotten which starred by Julianne Moore, great films but become real awful at the end. I know this is a film and people can do anything in it, but aliens? Come on, the ending made the movie really tasteless. The aliens took Caleb and Abby and put them in a new planet to start over, just like Adam and Eve. Boy, that's weird.
Anyway, maybe i'm not aliens fans, except for ET, but why would aliens have power to mess up earth's lifes? Just weird.

Fun facts:

• The phenomenon of people looking for patterns in randomness (number strings, faces in trees, shapes in clouds etc.) is called Pareidolia.
  

• A New York City subway operator is seen wearing an MTA logo on his uniform. However, he's wearing the logo that has not been used by the MTA since 1994.
• The character played by Nicholas Cage, a MIT professor, claims the ozone layer can be "burned away" by the Sun. The Sun's radiation ionizing the atmosphere MAKES the ozone layer. The only way to eliminate the ozone layer is extinguish the Sun, not have it send more radiation than usual.
• The solar flares knock out John's cellphone, yet he is still able to somehow receive the phone call from the gas station.
• They are opening a time capsule that was placed in the ground in 1959, when William Dawes Elementry School was built. The building that they are in front of is Camberwell High School. This building was built in 1941 and looks too old to have been built in 1959.
• They talk about caves near route 40 in Groten. There are no caves or route 40 in Groten.
• It has been scientifically proved that there is no possibility of our Sun ever emitting a super-flare as stated in the film. Flares are caused by manipulations in the Sun's magnetic and gravitational fields, these are common. However, for a super-flare to occur, there would need to be a massive celestial object (such as Jupiter) at a distance no further than the Earth, to have a massive pull on the Sun's gravitation, thus when breaking the magnetic bonds, a super-flare breaks out. Jupiter is much too distant from the Sun to ever have that effect and there is nothing else that large anywhere nearer.
• imdb.com
  

BRIDE WARS

Title : Bride Wars

Cast : Anne Hathaway, Kate Hudson, Bryan Greenberg, Chris Pratt, Steve Howey

Genre : Drama

Rating : Quite entertaining ^_^

Pic : cinema21.com

Synopsis:

Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Liv (Kate Hudson) have been best friend since 6 years old. Both have dreamed to have a fantastic June wedding party at the Plaza. Then one day, Fletcher, Emma's boy friend proposes her, a few days later Daniel, Liv's boyfriend, proposes Liv. The best friends meet Marion St Claire, the best wedding planner in town, together. The time slot for June wedding party at the plaza is limited, Liv takes June 6th and Emma takes June 27th, but Marion's assistant misread and put Emma and Liv's wedding at the same day.

Emma and Liv try to persuade the other bride to exchange the date, but their struggle comes to no avail, and this lead to another agreement. Emma and Liv agree to do nothing before one of them change her date, Liv hopes Emma will change the date, since she wants her as her maid oh honour and Emma also hopes the same. Then Emma decides that Liv should let her have the date since she has been let her have anything she wants for 20 years of their friendship. Emma send announcement email to all her friends that she will get marry at 6th. The announcement starts a clash. Emma and Liv try to mess other's party plan, they do anything to ruin their rival's party.

Comments:

This movie actually quite entertaining, to see 2 girls with highly different character that stay as best friends for decades, was amazing. In reality, it hard to find such friend, and even harder to keep ^_^. But i hate to see the end, it's way far from what i have imagined, well this movie is predictable but the end is not, and it sucks. Why suddenly Fletcher and Emma split? They don't show enough conflicts between them, and why should Emma marry Liv's brother instead? It is just not make any sense, too much. Well, but apart from nasty ending, this film is nice. It taught you to adjust, to be more understanding, and to less selfish when it comes to friendship ^_^
Moral of the story? Keep your girlfriends no matter what, they keep you sane and still be with you even if your love one is not ^_^

Fun facts:

• Earlier in the film, Emma wears a Helen Ficalora charm necklace with the initial "A" for Anne. Later in the movie it has switched to "E" for Emma.
• When Liv and Emma find the box with the ring for Liv, they are fighting for it to open it. During this fighting scene the bow gets opened, but after the fighting it is closed correctly again.
• During a scene in which their characters slap each other Kate accidentally hit Anne straight in the face very hard. Kate hit her with a big diamond ring on her finger, but she kept shooting the scenes in pain. Kate later found Anne sitting in a chair with a ice-pack on her face.
• imdb.com
  

Newmoon update ^_^

Hi hi Twilight lovers ^_^!

I have browsed here and there and found some interesting news about New Moon.

From what i read from msnbc.com, the article focused on Taylor Lautner (Jacob Black) who work very hard to look good as Jacob Black, he added few pounds to look bigger and very serious in forming chemistry with Kristen Stewart. Apparently, he is also serious to get rid of Rpbert Pattinson charm in previous film, Twilight. Ouch!

From omg.yahoo.com, i saw full cast of Jacob's werewolf pack. I want to give you the picture but...errrr....it's quite dangerous to show them ha ha ha. Please check at the site to see the pic and below is their cast: Alex Meraz (Paul), Chaske Spencer (Sam Uley), Bronson Pelletier (Jared), and Kiowa Gordon (Embry).
Still from the same site, Taylor Lautner said that the movie will accurately follow the book. He also said "Don't hate on me too much," and "I love you, guys." to Edward/ Robert Pattinson fans ^_^. That's so sweet, but he's just my type he he he he
British actor, Michael Sheen, will play as Aro, the leader of Italian Volutri Vampire. Some other name you may have heard, yup, Dakota Fanning will play as Jane

Well, just one thing to remember. Please, please, please, stop reading the novel at least 2 months before the premiere (Mid november i think). So when the movie is different from the novel, no body will disappoint ^_^.

Enjoy!

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Title : X-men The Origin: Wolverine

Cast : Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Lynn Collin

Rating : Pretty good ^_^

Pic : wikipedia.com

Synopsis:

At 1854, young Logan accidentally killed his father and run away with his brother Victor. The brothers join army for many years, the killing activity sharpened Victor killing instinct and change him into a cold blooded murder. One day William Stryker shows up, asking the brothers to join his special force. Together with Gambit, Agent Zero, John Wraith, Deadpool, Weapon IX, Bolt and Dukes, the group first assignment is to take a meteor stone from a drug cartel.
No longer feel comfortable with his group, Logan decides to walk away and leave his brother behind.

Six years after, Logan has changed to an ordinary guy, lives in a small town with his lover Kayla and work as a lumberman. While having a happy live, Kayla is killed. And the journey to find Kayla's assassin is begin.

Comments:

I can't tell you much regarding this movie, since what i have is the leaked internet version. I am sure that you can find it somewhere by googling it. Frankly, this is a good movie just like any other X men film, you can see the plot and the action is the same thrilling. But since what i saw is unfinished film, i can't tell you the whole story. I need to see the original movie first, then i'll come back with the polished complete story ^_^

Fun facts:

• Originally, Liev Schreiber was given a muscle suit to wear for his role as Victor Creed, in an effort to make his physique look comparable to Hugh Jackman' figure. The suit made Schreiber feel "humiliated." Schreiber then requested he be given a chance to gain real muscle by putting work in the gym and changing his diet. He trained for 3 months while on the set of Defiance (2008) in Lithuania, and eventually trained with Jackman on the set of X-Men Origins: Wolverine in Australia.
  
• imdb.com
  

AUGUST RUSH

Title : August Rush

Genre : Drama

Cast : Freddie Highmore, Kerri Russel, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Terrence Howard, Robin Williams

Rating : Grrrreeeaaat!

Pic : wikipedia.com

Synopsis:

Lyla Novacek (Lyla Novacek) is a talented young cellist and Louis Connelly (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), a talented singer and guitarist meet on the top of Lyla' friend apartment, listen to "moondance" play by some street performance. They spend one romantic night and seperate in the morning. The two have never met again. Lyla then become pregnant, her father does not approve since he thinks Lyla will have a great career await. Lyla runs away and hit by a car, by the time she opens her eyes, her father tell her that her baby was died.

Eleven years later, an orphan kid name Evan Taylor lives with strong faith that as long as he follows music he hears, he will reunite with his parents again. This faith takes him to New York, where he meet Wizard (Robin Williams), whom gathering homeless children and teach them to perform in the street for money. One morning, Evan admires Arthur's, one of the children, guitar. He touches it, feel the sound and by all sudden he plays it and produce a remarkable sound. Wizard soon realize that Evan is a music genius. Wizard gives a new name, August Rush, and ask Evan to never tell anybody his real name.

Meanwhile, Lyla is now a music teacher and has surrender her music career. One day the hospital calls her, her father is very ill and he confesses to Lyla that her son is alive and has been sent to an orphanage 11 years ago. Lyla goes to Social Department in New York, to find out about her son. She then decides to rejoin New York Philharmonic, in the same time Louise also reunite with his bandmates.

Due to a police reid, August is separated from Wizard, and by following the music he hears, August stop in a church where a choir is in a rehearsal. He meets Hope, and while left him for school with her piano, August finds a way to write notes and feels the room with his music compostion. Knowing his natural talent, rev. James sends him to Julliard School. August brilliant talent interest the Dean, and decides that they will play August composition in the next New York Phillharmonic in Central Park. But in a rehearsal, Wizzard interupt by saying that he is August father, he takes August away back to the street. Meanwhile, Lyla has found her son identity and decides to resume her career, she was choosen to play in the same concert.

Louise which received news that Lyla has been married, fly back to New York from Chicago and plays with his former band again, accidently he meets August and they play together without recognize one another. In the night before the orchestra, August decides to run from wizard, he make it there before his turn. While conducting, Lyla comes back to the stage driven by the music her son composed, Louise also comes after reading Lyla's name.

Comments:

Frankly, i never heard a thing about this film. I just accidently pick it up on my shopping day ^_^, and i'm thankful for that! The movie was just great! Pure drama but very touching and enchanting ha ha, no kidding. This is good movie. I recommend it, wheather you want to have some fun, some peace, or some treat! Just pick up your ticket and go see them ^_^

Fun facts:

• In Brazil, the movie is titled "The Sound of the Heart".
• Lyla and Louis do not look older after 11 years.
• The guitar that Louis is playing in the 1994 scenes appears to be a Gibson CS-336F model which was not manufactured by Gibson until 2002.
• Best family feature film 2008
  
• Best performance by younger actor 2008
• imdb.com and wikipedia.com