ARGO (2012)

Generally, there are three themes that tend to be favored by award community and film critics, the winning themes are about humanity (“Schindler’s List” {1993}, “The Shawshank Redemption {1994}, “Slumdog Millionaire” {2008}, etc.), patriotism (“Saving Private Ryan” {1998}, “Black Hawk Down” {2001}, “Lincoln” {2012}, etc.) and the world of cinema itself (“Cinema Paradiso” {1998}, “Hugo” {2011}, “The Artist” {2011}, etc.). Well, thiz movie has all three of them. Producer, Director and Actor Ben Affleck is smart enough to realize it and takes advantage of that. Ben Affleck is Tony Mendez, a CIA agent who is responsible for covert operation to extract six American embassy employees out of the rage of Iran revolutionary by pretending to be Canadian film crew. It seems that Ben Affleck has done a tremendous job as the Director. He starts with an effective prologue to provide sufficient information and every time the scene heats up, particularly when the scene of American embassy is invaded, he cleverly adds relaxing piano instrumental music to cool things down and doesn’t try to provoke audience into infuriated reactions. Thiz is his third feature films behind the camera after “Gone Baby Gone” (2007) and “The Town” (2010). For the acting, Ben Afflecks looks cool, calm and confident. John Goodman, Bryan Cranston and Victor Garber give brief but consistent performances and the last but definitely not least, Alan Arkin creates a powerful and believable emotion as fearless Hollywood Producer. I also have to put some credit to the Production Designer Sharon Seymour who successfully makes everything look like 1980s such as costume, hairstyle, glasses, car, furniture, television, telephone, everything! How they put attention to detail is undoubtedly amazing. Personally, for me, the power of thiz movie is in the last half hour. Thiz is a good example of what you can get when great script and great editing are perfectly combined. My heart nearly stopped while watching thiz final scene which takes place in Iran airport. They use almost all aspects to create tensions from ticket, telephone, soldier, bus, you name it and they have done it. When it’s over, there will be some satisfying and gratifying feelings. In the closing scene, when the camera pans over the toys of Star Wars, Planet of the Apes and other sci-fi movies one by one. It simply wants to remind us that they are not only inspirational icons in our pop culture, but also they have ever saved lives. Great movie, great story, great moviemaker!

Stars : 8/10
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Jonny Fendi

"Argo f*ck yourself!"

CLOUD ATLAS (2012)

What you might feel after watching thiz movie? You may be confused, you may be disappointed or if you watch closely enough, you may find a hidden philosophy inside. Thiz movie has six stories with six different time periods, from little island in South Pacific to the post-apocalyptic Hawaiian Islands, from the primitive year 1849 to far in the future 2321. The stories come from any direction and finally meet at one point. The story is meant to be connected to one another, however, don’t be surprised if you eventually find that the connection is very minor. In point of fact, you may miss the connection if you’re not careful. “Cloud Atlas” is the latest project from Tom Tykwer and The Wachowskis, starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Jim Broadbent, Ben Winshaw, James D’Arcy, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant, Doona Bae and Xun Zhou. All Actors have more than one role during different time periods. As a matter of fact, some Actors are so buried underneath their makeup that we could hardly recognize them. To make things even worse, some of them are seemingly drawn into comical performances such as Hugo Weaving, James D’Arcy, Susan Sarandon and Hugh Grant. The better performances come from Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Ben Winshaw. And the scene stealer is definitely Doona Bae who depicts a genetically-engineered clone named Sonmi-451. Doona Bae delivers a complex and inspiring character. On the directorial side, Tom Tykwer carries out 1936’s, 1973’s and 2012’s segment. On the other side, Andi and Lana (used to be Larry) Wachowski handle 1849’s, 2144’s and 2321’s segment. Personally, I prefer Wachowskis’ direction. They can keep up the pace of their stories and prevent it from being boring. It reminds us of how good The Wachowskis really are when depicting futuristic tales, just like what they did in “The Matrix” (1999). On the other hand, even though I love the previous Tom Tykwer’s works such as “Run Lola Run” (1998), but thiz time, he seems to have put anything one-dimensional. In other words, Tom Tykwer’s direction is boring. If it’s not because of the intriguing futuristic tale of Sonmi-451 which is directed by The Wachowskis, thiz movie will undoubtedly become an unnecessary B-Class movie. In the end, thiz is something bigger than you think. It’s all about a belief in the universality of mankind. Basically, there is no difference between countries, races and even genders, where white can become black, black can become white and white can become Asian. We are all one, we are all the same, learning and strive to a better condition.

Stars : 7/10
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Jonny Fendi

"Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb, we are bound to others, past and present. And by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future."

THE IMPOSSIBLE (2012)

Frankly, I had been experiencing some obvious pains while watching thiz movie. The movie gives you an actual situation of one of the deadliest natural disasters of the 21st century. It was the mega tsunami that hit most of Southeast Asia in 2004. To be more specific, it’s based on the incredible true story of the Belon family consists of a father, a mother and three sons, which at that time were on vacation in Phuket, Thailand. The father Henry is played by Ewan McGregor. McGregor’s character went through a lot of struggles to find his wife and son. It’s a very complex character. However, he can translate thiz character pretty well. But personally, for me, it’s the mother Maria who is played by Naomi Watts that delivers some powerful and heart-shattering performances. Watts can bring her character to life, with great emotional depth and effective improvisation. The other strong performance comes from the role of the eldest son Lucas which is played by Tom Holland. Holland creates a brilliant chemistry with Naomi Watts. The other two younger brother Thomas and Simon are played by Samuel Joslin and Oaklee Pendergast. Thiz movie is directed by young Spanish Director Juan Antonio Bayona who previously known for “The Orphanage” (2007). I can guarantee you will be in awe for the first 45 minutes of the movie, but after that, the storyline seems kind of lost. In addition to the impressive performances from the Cast members, thiz movie also provides breathtaking Visual Effects. It directly drags you into the middle of the situation. The giant tidal wave is frightening and believable. The sound of how tsunami debris hit and tear up the body is even more terrifying. There is always a meaning behind every tragedy. I appreciate the moral values in thiz movie. There is a scene, when the mother Maria tells her eldest son Lucas to help other victims though they themselves are in distress. It is praiseworthy deed and so amazing to see humanity is still alive. It’s true, nothing is more powerful than the human spirit. That’s the time when the impossible become possible.

Stars : 7/10
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Jonny Fendi

"Close your eyes and think of something nice…"

SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS (2012)

“A person suffering from chronic mental disorder with abnormal or violent social behaviour.” That’s the definition of the word of psychopath from Oxford Dictionary. Thiz movie comes from the Directors of “In Bruges” (2008) Martin McDonagh. McDonagh is the kind of Director who can make an effective black comedy with roller coaster storyline and interesting characters. He also shows promising signs of becoming one of the cult movie Directors. The story revolves around a psychopathic screenwriter (Colin Farrell) whose seemingly nice girlfriend is a psychopath (Abbie Cornish), makes friends with a psychopathic dog kidnapper (Sam Rockwell) and his psychopathic assistant (Christopher Walken) who unfortunately stole a shih tzu which belongs to a psychopathic gangster (Woody Harrelson) whose unfaithful girlfriend is also a psychopath (Olga Kurylenko). Meanwhile it’s also about a mysterious psychopath (Tom Waits) who carries a white bunny all the time. Well, I just used the word “psychopath” so many times. If you feel confused, it may be true. The first 30 minutes of the movie will probably make you confused. If you feel it’s kind of weird, yes, the movie is very weird and comedic as well. The dialogue is interesting and alive. Everything just flows to the right direction. And I almost feel like there is a time when thiz movie criticizes itself. The three main characters are amazing. Let’s start with Colin Farrell. Farrell depicts an alcoholic screenwriter who looks like a peace lover but sometimes looks more like a coward in many situations. It’s great to see Colin Farrell can bring a different kind of character. And the next one is Sam Rockwell who rocks pretty well. Rockwell’s character is the one who sets fire in thiz field of gasoline. He looks confident and believable. People can hate his character but surely will love his performance. Personally, Sam Rockwell’s performance is the best performance in thiz movie. Last but not least, it’s Christopher Walken. Walken goes back to his roots, bringing an eccentric character, it simply reminds me what he is good at, just like the old times when he triumphed in “True Romance” (1993), “Last Man Standing” (1996) or “Kill the Irishman” (2011). Thiz movie just made me realize that all thiz time, most of my favorite movies has psychopathic characters in them, such as “Pulp Fiction” (1994), “Fight Club” (1999), “Trainspotting” (1996), “True Romance” (1993), “Natural Born Killers” (1994) and many more. Just because we like movies about psychopaths doesn’t mean we are also psychopaths, right? Or are we?

Stars : 7/10
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Jonny Fendi

"You didn't think I was serious just because I carry a rabbit around?"

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY (2012)

To be honest, at first I was a little reluctant to spend almost three hours to see thiz movie but I know I will go anyway, just for curiosity’s sake. However, it ends up with “Wow!” Thiz movie serves as a prequel to Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy consists of “The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001), “The Two Towers” (2002) and “The Return of the King” (2003). The tale starts with a comfortable pace and very good peaceful feeling by showing the beautiful Hobbit Village. I’m surprised that some scenes are almost too simple and humble for epic like thiz. Don’t get me wrong, I love thiz part very much! There is a cameo appearance from Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and it’s also about how they introduce young Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and the uninvited 13 dwarves one by one. It’s not quite as grand as the previous trilogy, it’s merely simpler, but surely has heart in it. For me, Peter Jackson is another George Lucas with his Middle-earth universe. Jackson really knows for sure about how every single thing should look like. His attention to detail both visible and unseen is remarkable. Thiz movie is very neat and well-arranged. You almost can’t find a single hole or mistake. Everyone takes their role proportionally. Martin Freeman delivers his central figure with depth as Bilbo Baggins. Richard Armitage shows a precise charisma as the dwarf leader Thorin Oakenshield . Ian McKellen brings his presence with wisdom as the powerful wizard Gandalf. And plus the minor parts but memorable ones like Christopher Lee as the white wizard Saruman, Hugo Weaving as the mighty elf-lord Elrond and Cate Blanchett as the beauteous elf Galadriel. All three of them look younger and divine than ever. And last but certainly not least, the dirty creature Smeágol finally comes out and perhaps it would be the most awaited scene for the fans. Just like in the previous movies, thiz character is amazing! I almost can say, Smeágol (also known as Gollum) might have delivered the best acting for overall, not because the other Actors are bad, but you can see it yourself, the complex emotion and sound are very convincing. The man behind it is Andy Serkis. There are so many similar adventures have been made before, but only a few like thiz J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium that is definitely beyond imagination. Everything is bigger than anything. It’s like creating a whole new world in a whole new way. It’s a great basic material as a novel in the first place and it’s even a greater presentation as a movie. In summary, thiz movie is worth watching even if you’re not a fan. Thiz is a journey that you want to take.

Stars : 7,5/10
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Jonny Fendi

"True courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one."

LIFE OF PI (2012)

Thiz is a simple movie with stunning visual portrayal of a spiritual journey. It starts like Tim Burton’s “Big Fish” (2003) where everything is odd and magical, steps like Danny Boyle's ”Slumdog Millionaire” (2008) with its compelling flashback in storytelling and it feels like Tom Hank's “Cast Away” (2000), only thiz time the survivor is not accompanied by Wilson the volleyball, but with something called Richard Parker. It is a courageous adventure story about a young boy named Piscine (Suraj Sharma), who unfortunately lost all his family in sinking ship. His survival effort along with all the animals, especially with a ferocious Bengal tiger, brings him to an understanding of life as a whole. The newcomer Suraj Sharma delivers a sufficient performance to describe a boy who has to survive nature. Adil Hussain and Tabu make brief but memorable appearances as Pi’s father and mother. On the other hand, I think that Irrfan Khan could have been better as Adult Pi. His central role as the storyteller is just enough, not extraordinary, not even close, compared to Gloria Stuart as Old Rose in "Titanic" (1997). Ang Lee who is formerly known as the Director of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), “Hulk” (2003) and the controversial drama “Brokeback Mountain” (2005), wrapping thiz movie with astonishing visual treat. “The Storm Scene” is one of the remarkable moments in thiz movie. I bet you won’t get thiz experience before in any other movies. Thiz is something that you have never seen before, followed by other scenes like “The Giant Whale Scene”, “The Flying Fish Scene” and my favorite “The Exotic Meerkat Island”. I think thiz movie has lots of powerful philosophies all over the place. It’s like metaphor in metaphor, there comes a point in everyone’s life, thiz will be something that needs to be thought about. It’s emotionally gratifying. Actually, the movie is not just about survival, it’s not even about the sinking ship, and it’s definitely not about the tiger. It’s simply about your relationship with God. In the end, we know very well. In every spiritual journey, your greatest enemy is none other than yourself.

Stars : 8/10
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Jonny Fendi

"All of life is an act of letting go.”

SHAME (2011)

Let’s talk about sex. Reader discretion is advised. First of all, Michael Fassbender deserves extra credit for his involvement. I realize not everyone is willing to play in thiz kind of controversial subject. Just like me, at first I also had a reluctance to review thiz movie. But on second thought, thiz movie is too good to miss. Previously, Michael Fassbender made his presence known with a breakthrough role as Magneto in the blockbuster movie “X-Men: First Class” (2011). Thiz time, Michael Fassbender plays in thiz controversial erotic drama about a successful New Yorker who looks ordinary on the outside, but on the inside he’s struggling to hold himself as sex addict. At the same time, he has personal responsibility to protect his sister (Carey Mulligan) from the harsh realities of the outside world. There are some full frontal nudity and explicit sex scenes, involving two main characters, Fassbender and Mulligan. But it’s acceptable. Eventually you will come to understand that it’s for the depth of storytelling. Michael Fassbender displays his acting versatility, just like he did in “Hunger” (2008). He can explore his complex character attractively. Carey Mulligan also shows a little bit of her singing talent here. The man behind thiz psychological movie is Steve Mc Queen. Nope, of course not the famous legendary Actor, just the same name. His directing is provocative and effective. Sometimes he adds some relaxing piano instrumentals to calm the situation. Thiz movie invites us to contemplate something that may enlighten us. Sex is a basic part of human nature. Even each of us sometimes has a tendency to direct sexual desire toward the opposite sex. But you have to see it thiz way, in your heart you know that no one deserves to be treated as a sex object. The explanation is simple, because they might also be someone’s sister, daughter or mother, and vice versa. Once you realize that, then you will be able to see sex differently. It’s just because we are all human.

Stars : 7/10
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Jonny Fendi



"Couples sitting together and they don’t even speak to one another."

CONFESSIONS (2010)

The movie begins with a woman teacher speaks in front of her class, “Today, I want to make a confession. My daughter had recently passed away but it was no accident. She was killed by students from thiz class!” One thing is for sure, the movie starts with a very interesting premise. I went to see thiz movie without any expectation and then boom! In the end, I found that thiz movie is one jaw-dropping psychological thriller. The movie is divided into several chapters, each of which tells from perspective of different character, like the teacher, student’s mother, murderer A, murderer B and so on. We are able to see into the mind of each character, what is the motive, the secret and finally the shocking twist. The woman teacher is played by Takako Matsu. Matsu can deliver a strong cold-blooded impression. The two suspects are played by Yukito Nishii and Kaoru Fujiwara. Although, both are still very young, they can create believable figures and definitely not corny or shallow. The other Cast members are Ai Hashimoto, Yoshiteru Terada and Yoshino Kimura. The movie is directed by one of today’s respectable Japanese Directors Tetsuya Nakashima. He is widely recognized for “Kamikaze Girls” (2004), “Memories of Matsuko” (2006) and “Paco and the Magical Book” (2008). Something surely gets my attention. Thiz movie has a peculiar approach to storytelling. The Director Tetsuya Nakashima definitely has his own style. Sometimes he gives a bit of flashback image. Another time, he describes an event with a very strange slow motion sequence. The slow motion sequence looks so elegant yet realistic. Substantively, thiz is a movie with most of the scenes takes place in a school, there’s really nothing special about the venue. But in Nakashima’s hand, everything looks completely different. The cinematography is gorgeous and beautiful. It surely leaves a very deep mark. Apparently, thiz movie also intends to teach us a lesson about life. When we can see what the motive behind every action and consequence, at that time we come to realize that no one should be labeled suspect. In fact, everybody is just a victim.

Stars : 8/10
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Jonny Fendi



"I'm going to give you one final, very important lesson. Life."

LIMITLESS (2011)

Thiz movie is definitely my personal favorite from 2011. What if one pill could create the perfect version of you? Yes, Thiz one pill could raise the hidden potential of our brain. We become aware of every single detail, creativity and problem-solving will eventually burst out and certainly math becomes useful. It happens to Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper), a desperate writer who facing a dead end in his career. The unexpected event introduces him to the magic pill which allows him to access 100% of his brain. The next thing he knows, he is able to complete his writing in just one night. In fact, his mind also becomes super smart and an effective analyzer. Now all things are easy, He can fix his fractured relationship with his girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish), having a lifetime opportunity to work with successful tycoon investor like Carl Van Loon (Robert De Niro). It becomes worse when other people try to take advantage of him and his magic pill. One word for Bradley Cooper, he is awesome! All thiz time, I always thought that Bradley Cooper can be successful as is now just because he is good-looking, thiz time he has proved me wrong. Bradley Cooper definitely can describe highs and lows of his complex character. On the other hand, Robert De Niro delivers his typical persona as a charismatic and influential figure. And even though in brief performance, Abbie Cornish can bring out her sex appeal attractively. Neil Burger is the man behind thiz interesting thriller. He is formerly known for “The Illusionist” (2006) and “The Lucky Ones” (2008).Neil Burger has successfully provided a dynamic storytelling with compelling narrative. The instrumental song that sounds “Da da da da… Da da da” will be one of the memorable characteristics of thiz movie, in addition to “Infinite Zoom Sequence” that appears in the opening credits. Everything is grand, except one thing, the ending! The storyline is very nicely built since the very beginning but I can obviously see that they run out of ideas to conclude thiz story. The ending could have been better. Anyway, As far as I know, the only way to reach thiz kind of state is by mediation, not medication. If everyone is perfect then no one will learn anything.

Stars : 8/10
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Jonny Fendi



"I was blind, but now I see."

ANOTHER EARTH (2011)

What if there is another you on another earth? Thiz question will generate other hundreds or maybe thousands of new questions. On the eve of the discovery of a second earth, Rhoda’s car accidentally crashed into john’s and killed his wife and his little boy. Now after four-year sentence, Rhoda with her guilt tries to approach the frustrated John to ask for forgiveness. I won’t tell you where the rest will lead us. The story centers on two main characters, Rhoda (Brit Marling) and john (William Mapother). Brit Marling makes her acting debut through thiz movie. She can show her vulnerable emotion convincingly. William Mapother also makes a good balance on their interaction. Even though first-time feature Director Mike Cahill has very limited resources, he seems so successful to raise a debate among the audience with his unique story. I realize that thiz movie has an ambiguous ending. It means the ending could mean anything depends on how the content is interpreted by the viewers. Thiz kind of art house movie reminds me of Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman’s strange smart movies like in “Being John Malkovich” (1999), “Adaptation” (2002), "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2004), “Synecdoche, New York” (2008) or "Where the Wild Things are" (2009). I think thiz movie is a large-scale metaphor of life. It’s straightly about how to redeem a guilty feeling. Certainly, we cannot change the past. So the movie reminds us of the importance of forgiveness. To put it simply, if you want to make people around you to feel happiness then you have to make yourself happy first. Otherwise, if you want to make yourself to be happy, then you have to make other people happy. We’re all in the same boat. Sooner or later, it will affect one another. It’s a good contemplation.

Stars : 6/10
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Jonny Fendi



"What would we really like to see if we could stand outside ourselves and look at us?"