THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (2011)

I have a question. What made you get into the line to see thiz movie in the first place? Just to see good looking faces or you want to see Edward and Bella’s hot honeymoon. If that is the case then you’ve got it all. Finally, the end of thiz saga will be completed in thiz last chapter where the chain of major events occurs such as the wedding, Bella’s pregnancy and the last battle. Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are still in the spotlight, carrying their iconic figures. They both seem to have fun with their roles, however, their acting skills have shown either no decline or an improvement. Get ready for some mellow madness, because the story will grow more intimate. If you are a true fan of thiz franchise, you will be one of them who cheers and screams throughout the movie. You will see the marriage, the honeymoon night and yeah, a lot of kissing coming! What if you are not one of them? O ow! We’ve got a little problem here. You’ve definitely got into the wrong theater. Your nightmare is about to begin. It’s pretty awkward and monotone to see the couple always flirt and pamper each other. I appreciate the first “Twilight” (2008), there were some real romantic atmospheres there. But as time goes by, the chemistry between Edward and Bella looks even more and more overacting. Actually, it has already happened since ”New Moon” (2009) and ”Eclipse” (2010). It’s Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black who gives a better performance. The other regular Cast members like Billy Burke, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed and Peter Facinelli make an exact impression of the previous movies. Three previous movies are directed by three different Directors and it happens in thiz sequel as well. Thiz time, the movie is directed by Bill Condon who is the man behind smash musical hit “Dreamgirls” in 2006. Cutting the last part into two movies was a terrible idea in the first place. Recently, ”Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” (2010-2011) had done the same, dividing their final installment into two movies but in that case it looked like a reasonable idea, considering the basic materials are too thick and so much to tell. But for Twilight Saga, thiz is totally insane. They have one purpose and one purpose only, to show more kissing and cheesy scenes. One word, it’s awkward!

Stars : 4/10
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Jonny Fendi

"We should be partners, remember? But you decided it alone. Decided to leave me.”

TITANIC 3D (2012)

A friend asked me, “Will the movie look exactly the same as 1997s version? “ I spontaneously told him, “Well, the ship will still be sinking.” Ha ha… But seriously, it’s an unforgettable experience and definitely worth seeing! James Cameron invites us to revisit the RMS Titanic and thiz time in 3D. And you know what? I still get goosebumps ever since the first 10 minutes I saw thiz movie. I admit that everyone can make a review on “Titanic”, surely everyone has something to say about thiz movie. It’s not just that the ship is gigantic but it’s also literally big as a movie. The Director James Cameron did explore almost everything. The real tragic event with the latest forensic science and one of the most beautiful stories ever told. Thiz is the man who brought you “Aliens” (1986), “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (1991) and "Avatar" (2009). A simple adventurer Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) won a ticket in a lucky hand at poker for the journey of a lifetime, where he meets a desperate aristocrat Rose (Kate Winslet) who suffers anguish after being forced to marry a rich steel tycoon Cal Hockley (Billy Zane). The journey is going to change their lives forever. The other Cast members are Kathy Bates, Bill Paxton, Frances Fisher, Victor Garber and Bernard Hill as Captain Edward James Smith. The cinematography is splendid. What I do remember is the dynamic camera movements, the afternoon sunshine, the wind, the wave, everything! I’m always impressed by how they capture the moment of “I’m Flying Scene”, when Jack teaches Rose how to step over the big ship’s prow and spread her arms wide. The chemistry seems so natural and sincere. The love story is compelling in every possible way. It’s like “Romeo and Juliet” kind of thing. “You Jump, I jump” is also one of my absolute favorite moments. Yes, we do care about Jack and Rose. The elderly Rose who is played by Gloria Stuart also deserves mention for her memorable performance. Stuart successfully brings the story alive with her powerful storytelling. The song from Celine Dion, “My Heart Will Go On” is not just great, but it’s legendary! Once again, it is worth watching in 3D. Although thiz re-release version is the conversion result from 2D standard material to 3D, but it’s your best chance to experience the magical wonder which feels like you’re actually standing on the deck of Titanic. One day you can proudly tell your kids or even your grandchildren that you saw "Titanic" in the theater. Yes, thiz will be a historic moment! I have to say, I love the ending. It’s one of the greatest ending scenes in cinematic history. Spoiler Alert! After the elderly Rose passes away, in afterlife somehow she’s young again and meets the love of her life Jack at staircase in the main lobby of the Titanic. Then they’re just kissing. It’s so sweet and overwhelming. The movie reminds us that nothing is eternal, but still a specific moment can be eternal in our hearts. So are you ready to go back to Titanic?

Stars : 9/10
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Jonny Fendi



"Winning that ticket was the best thing that ever happened to me. It brought me to you. And I'm thankful for that, Rose. I'm thankful… You must do me thiz honor. You must promise me that you'll survive. That you won't give up... No matter what happens. No matter how hopeless. Promise me now, Rose. And never let go of that promise."

THE ARTIST (2011)

Speechless... is one word to describe thiz movie. It has been proven that you don't need expensive Actors or famous Director to make a terrific movie. The movie is presented like an old time silent movie, it is black and white, almost no conversation and even was shot in the 1.33 : 1 aspect ratio. It takes place in 1927, when George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) was the king of silent movies. An unexpected encounter with the young and lovely rising star Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) takes him to the mutual delight adventure in film industry. Every Actor plays its role perfectly, main or supporting. Jean Dujardin performs a superb and flawless acting. His charisma is unquestionable central element. He’s got the eye gaze, the eyebrow raise, the eyelash flutter, the dancing, everything that knocks down the game entirely. His opposite love interest, Bérénice Bejo creates an equal presence. Maybe she's not the most of gorgeous blonde girl figures, but she is positively charming in every way. Other roles by John Goodman, Penelope Ann Miller and James Cromwell as a loyal butler and even the dog are proportionally fit as they need to be. The plot is perfectly told. Although it is a black and white silent movie, every minute that you spend, it will not make you bored at all. The selection of musical Score is vital. Music is the life of thiz movie. It flows up and down dynamically during the mood changing in every scene. The man behind the curtain is Michel Hazanavicius, the under radar and unknown Director takes the risk to do something completely different and it seems to be perfectly pay off. I have to say that the conflict issue is brilliant! It is a solid winning theme. If you are an Actor or someone who is involved in thiz industry, you will surely appreciate the message behind thiz movie. It is a Golden Gate that bridging the intergenerational gap. Silence is golden, my friend!

Stars : 8,5/10
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Jonny Fendi



"I won't talk! I won't say a word!"

NO STRINGS ATTACHED (2011)

There are only two reasons that make you go to watch thiz movie. First because of the sensational movie ”Black Swan” (2010), you want to see Natalie Portman again! Or else, you are one of those who think Ashton Kutcher is cute! The story follows Adam (Kutcher) and Emma (Portman) who have been friends since childhood. Somehow they agree to use each other for physical reason which is sex! It’s exactly what Anne Hathaway did with Jake Gyllenhaal recently in “Love and Other Drugs” (2010). Initially they want sex, but in the process they find something more special. Kutcher provides fun and easy-going character. On the other hand, Portman delivers a balancing act to their interaction. It’s good, not bad at all for sure, but it’s like using a big bazooka to kill a little bird, completely waste of talent. There are some memorable appearances, especially from Lake Bell as Lucy, Mindy Kaling as Shira and Kevin Kline as Adam’s dad who likes to date his son ex-girlfriends. The movie comes from the Director who is the father of “Ghostbusters” (1984) and Arnie’s “Kindergarten Cop” (1990). The fun factor is still on the air for about half hour at the beginning, we could still feel the excitement, after that the movie becomes never-ending boredom. In my note, what happens to today's modern rom-coms is almost impossible to make a movie without raising the gay issue. For example in thiz movie, one of Portman’s best friends is gay and so with the gay parents of Kutcher’s best friend. Another factor that occurs to most of modern rom-coms lately is also the using of vulgar words and atrocious dialogue, it’s totally unbearable including thiz one. By the way, if you come to see Portman on being naked in the first place. Well, instead of that, you will get naked body of Kutcher! Yuck! It’s pretty ugly for the one who expects more. It’s just like in Marionette show, it will fall when no strings attached.

Stars : 5/10
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Jonny Fendi



"We're sluts, Emma! We're dirty dirty sluts!"

EAT, PRAY, LOVE (2010)

If you love travelling, I think you might like thiz movie. It’s a real life experience of Elizabeth M. Gilbert who is in self-discovery by travelling to Italy, India and Bali (no one mentions Indonesia?!) in 2006. Eat at Italy, pray at India and finally finds love at paradise island Bali. Her book “Eat, Pray, Love” was on New York Times Best Seller list for 110 weeks. The movie is directed by Ryan Murphy who is the creator of TV series “Nip/Tuck”, “Popular” and musical phenomenal “Glee”. His famous directing credit is “Running with Scissors” in 2006. For the zillionth time, Julia Roberts repeats her role as a typical rom-com queen. Three lovers around Liz character are played by fine Actors such as Javier Bardem, Billy Crudup, and Spider-Man’s best friend, James Franco. Bardem brings a relaxing and warm aura into his character. Another brief and believable performance comes from Richard Jenkins as a devastated man in India. There are some surprising performances by Indonesian Actors such as the toothless medicine man Ketut (Hadi Subiyanto), the little girl Tutti (Anakia Lapae) and a brief performance from Christine Hakim who is known as an acclaimed Actress in Indonesia. Subiyanto is success to deliver a memorable character, although with limited English. At half hour of the beginning, the plot is kind of boring and flat, but after that we will find plenty of hilarious moments and the storytelling goes better. In the end, I come to a conclusion that Liz Gilbert’s character is kind of confused and too much worries about herself, she left everything she had for irrational reasons. Thiz movie has been telling us, “Each city and person has one word to describe it”. Well, my word is selfishness. One thing is for sure, the real exoticism of Bali is more beautiful than what is shown in thiz movie. I won’t tell you, you have to visit Bali and check it out yourself.

Stars : 6/10
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Jonny Fendi



"Listen, balance, my darling, is not letting anybody love you less than you love yourself."

HEAR ME (2009)

How do you express your love to someone dear? Thiz movie teaches us how to get through all the boundaries and speaks only from our heart. I went to see thiz film without any expectation. But surprisingly it becomes a spell-binding movie. The Director Fen-fen Cheng makes a directorial debut through thiz Taiwanese Romantic Comedy. It’s about a delivery boy Tian Kuo (Eddie Peng) who falls in love with hearing impaired girl named Yang Yang (Ivy Chen). Without any difficulty, both of them can communicate easily, although using sign language. The Cast members are not just good-looking, but they deliver some dazzling performances as well. The story also revolves around Yang Yang’s sister, Xiao Peng (Michelle Chen) who is pursuing her dream to become paralympic swimmer. Most of the times, the scenes are filled with mute dialogue and silentness. I am amazed every time I watch thiz unique couple talk to each other with their sign language, how their hand movements and face expressions interact more effective than our daily language. Meanwhile, the comical interaction between Tian Kuo and his parents is one of hilarious parts in thiz movie. Thiz is definitely not a shallow love drama, but it’s also an inspiring story about dreams and aspirations. There are some melancholic and heart-touching scenes, particularly in one of the scenes when Yang Yang and her sister remind each other among their desperation, how hope should always be there to light up their life. The movie confidently teaches us, how we should appreciate every single hard work that is done by someone, where every penny has its worth and value. A beautiful drama speaks loud and clear beyond words. The sound of love is perfectly captured. I hear you clearly ^_^

Stars : 7/10
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Jonny Fendi



"When I first met you, you were like a water bird."

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE (2010)

Thiz movie is phenomenal. A lot of movie critics sneer at thiz romantic flick. But on thiz review, I want to stay neutral and try to be objective. If you want to be fair, whoever the Director or the Cast members will be getting a hard time to fulfil viewer great expectation since everyone pays full attention to thiz franchise. The original content is written by a woman novelist Stephenie Meyer. Twilight Saga schedules for quadrilogy. I think thiz third constellation is better than the second one, ”New Moon” (2009). But the first one “Twilight” (2008) is still the best because of its mysterious atmosphere and effective introduction by former Director Catherine Hardwicke. Thiz time, The Director is David Slade who is previously known for “30 Days of Night” in 2007. Thiz sequel has a better pace of storytelling. Although some people said the sequences are a little bit slow and boring. But I think if you want to get some precise romantic scenes, thiz is the only way to do it. Slade successfully captures the emotions for most of the times with his close up cinematography. If we look at the main performers, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and Isabella Swan (Kristen Stewart) do not show much improvement than before. The better performance belongs to Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) with his deep eye gaze. The best performance surprisingly comes from the supporting Cast member Dakota Fanning as Jane, one of the Volturi members. With her accent tone and body language, Fanning makes an incredible vampire’s aura. The blood-thirsty Jasper’s character (Jackson Rathbone) annoys me a little bit. His character evolves too much. In two earlier prequels he was almost invisible, but on thiz third one he has changed dramatically to become tough vampire warrior. I observe, Thiz is an odd movie, where girls love it and boys hate it. I hope they didn’t come to the theater just to see some good-looking faces (I’m saying thiz, it’s not because I’m a Twilighater). On the other hand, if you look inside, no matter how corny the movie is, it still has a story to tell (I’m saying thiz, it’s not because my close friend is Twilighter). The formula is repeated quite well, shirtless werewolf plus very cool vampire plus girl who can’t even made up her mind, equal to movie that totally twilight us.

Stars : 5,5/10
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Jonny Fendi



"Isabella Swan, I promise to love you every moment of forever."

LETTERS TO JULIET (2010)

The tagline is “What if you had a second chance to find true love?” It all begins like Taylor Swift’s song “Love Story”, “We were both young, when I first saw you.” There is a place in Verona where broken-hearted women can write their letters and sticks it on the wall. Those letters will be replied by a group called Juliet’s Secretaries. By her curiosity, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) gets involved into the group, while she is on a vacation with her fiancé, Victor (Gael García Bernal). Sophie accidentally has found an unanswered letter, and tries to reply it after 50 years buried. The letter which was written by a woman named Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) takes them all to a quest to find Claire’s first love Lorenzo Bartolini. Young Bartolini once asked Claire to run away with him. Thiz part is when the song says, “Romeo takes me somewhere we can be alone, I’ll be waiting all there’s left to do is run.” But young Claire never showed up. Meanwhile, Claire’s grandson, Charlie (Christopher Egan) comes along to join their road trip adventure. Later, Sophie and Charlie also find themselves having a special feeling with each other. Amanda Seyfried has always been my favorite Actress since first I saw her in ”Mamma Mia!” (2008). But I have to admit that her acting hasn’t shown particular improvement yet. Seyfried’s chemistry with Egan as her love interest is extremely poor. It seems Egan doesn’t know what to do with his role. Gael García Bernal who I respect him as an extraordinary Actor in previous indie movies like “Y tu Mamá También” (2001) and “The Motorcycle Diaries” (2004), also makes one dimensional performance with his monotone behavior. Vanessa Redgrave shows better performance as Claire, although it’s not so special as well. A good story to tell, but it fails in almost all aspects in directing, the man who is responsible is Gary Winick (also directed “Charlotte’s Web” {2006} and “Bride Wars” {2009}). In Fact, the emotions are barely flat throughout the entire movie. Despite its obvious inadequacies, there is one heartwarming moment, when finally Claire meets Charlie again. Their reunion heals their long lost love. In that very moment, the believability is effective. That’s the time when we come to the end of the song, “You’ll never have to be alone, I love you and that’s all I really know.” It’s a fabulous letter but doesn’t get delivered.

Stars : 5/10
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Jonny Fendi



"I'm sorry, I didn't know love had an expiration date."

DEAR JOHN (2010)

Nicholas Sparks is the mastermind of incredibly-moving “The Notebook” (2004). Lasse Hallström tries to tell another Sparks’s novel in a movie. Recently, we have seen other Hallström’s direction in heartwarming ”Hachiko: A Dog’s Story” (2009). Both of them make thiz romantic drama worth it to be waited. But in the implementation, something is out of track. The story is about Savannah (Amanda Seyfried) who accidentally met John (Channing Tatum) in one fine summer on the beach. They fell in love with each other and now they have to go through a long distance relationship when John is sent away to his military mission. The Director Lasse Hallström tries to capture it with simplicity. In fact, almost all of Hallström’s movies are filled with simplicity. It seems to me his simplicity makes the drama comes out naturally and effectively. Richard Jenkins makes a brief but incredible small role as John’s father. Seyfried always looks lovable, her character is gratifying. She is able to represent up and down of all emotions very well. Once again, he shows his singing talent here. I’ve already fell in love with her since the first time I saw her on ”Mamma Mia!” (2008). On the other hand, Tatum’s performance is awful. His character looks awkward and empty. I doubt his acting skill at all. As the result, the chemistry has a serious gap. But once again, Nicholas Sparks’s novel is always worth it to be told. Thiz is fifth Sparks’s novel that has adapted to movies, since Kevin Costner’s “Message in a Bottle” (1999), Mandy Moore’s “A Walk to Remember” (2002), Rachel McAdams’s “The Notebook” (2004), Richard Gere’s “Nights in Rodanthe” (2008) and also upcoming Miley Cyrus’s “The Last Song” (2010). It’s always about everlasting love and long term relationship. We could spend one fine evening with anybody or even a nice whole memorable summer, it can come and go. But it’s the person who always stands beside us in all these times who is truly the one.

Stars : 5,5/10
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Jonny Fendi



"No matter where you are in the world,the moon is never bigger than your thumb."

BANGKOK TRAFFIC [LOVE] STORY (2009)

A simple love story is brought from Thailand. It’s easy-watching and close to most Asian viewers. Mei li (Sirin Horwang) is a thirty-something woman who suddenly feels so lonely in her life after her friend’s marriage. In that brief moment, coincidentally she finds someone who later becomes so special. We know Thailand is one of the productive horror makers. The reason we watch thiz movie, if we want to feel different kind of atmospheres. The movie is directed by Adisorn Tresirikasem. Actually thiz movie is kind of girly but it’s entertaining enough for all viewers. The drama is light and funny. Some of the scenes are hilarious because they makes it so comical, even in some parts are too comical. I’m not saying thiz romantic comedy is special. The chemistry between two main characters is sufficient enough to bring some romantic moods. The man character, Theeradej Wongpuapan is cold and stiff. It’s not the best performance. The girl character by Sirin Horwang is way better. Occasionally, she can act comical very well. There is an exciting cat and mouse game which is played by both of them and quite interesting. In one of the ending scenes (Spoiler Alert!), the girl receives a box from the man character. When she opens the box, it consists of memorable things that the girl had accidentally broken from their early experience. Each of those broken things (such as camera, sunglasses, etc.) reminds her of every moment they had ever spent together. It‘s just so true, I think how we can appreciate our true love, if our heart have never been broken? ^_^

Stars : 5,5/10
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Jonny Fendi



"But we got to see the stars during the day time. Isn't it romantic?"