Let Me In (2010)

From a Danish film in the last review, we now turn to a Swedish film that got a Hollywood makeover... much like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is getting one this winter. The original film: Låt den rätte komma in was good [6/10] but not "great," I'm lead to believe that its success on the imdb top 250 and theme of vampires was enough for Hollywood to give it a green light.

The film is about a young boy, bored in his apartment complex who likes to sit and watch his neighbors. He notices a girl moving in next door to him and eventually meets her. We learn that she is a vampire and are pulled either to being compassionate of her necessities to survive, or to disliking the havoc she brings.

My biggest issue with the Swedish original was the boy, I didn't like the actors performance and he just annoyed me. In this version "Owen" [Kodi Smit-McPhee] was much better. The main girl... well they were good in both. This film actually won the Saturn award for best Horror film last year, pretty impressive, considering it isn't a slasher film and actually makes you think about love and friendship rather than making you jump.

Maybe having seen the original first ruined it a little for me, because it was good, but just not great.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1228987/

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In a Better World: Hævnen (2010)

From what I have traced of my heritage I have more Danish in me than any other nationality, so it was pretty exciting to see that both the Golden Globe and Oscar for Foreign film were won by this film. It was also nice to see that it was actually a GOOD film.

The trailer... or maybe I should say teaser intro of this film shows African children following a Caucasian man in a Jeep on a dirt road. The film also opens with this Doctor working at a Red Cross aid station in Africa, so it was pretty safe to assume this film would take place in Africa. Well it doesn't, this is really meant to show that two fathers, both doctors, have to spend time away from their children back home as they work some length of a "shift" in Africa.

The story actually is about anger. Yes anger. Kids getting bullied in school, a boy losing his mother, children going through divorce, doctors making difficult decisions. Anger is an over simplification, but I can't easily remember a film that drew me in so much that my heart was racing wanting a father to fight back, wanting a kid to fight back. It might test your Christian principles of turning the other cheek.

I don't want to say too much, because if you watch a foreign film, than unlike more than a few of the past years, you should watch the Oscar/Golden Globe winner.

Vote: 8/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1340107/

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Stardust (2007)

I do remember this film coming out and through it was a kids film. It didn't peak my interest then, but for the sake of finishing a movie list [the modern 250] I gave it a chance.

Charlie Cox stars as Tristan, a young man set out to win the love of a girl by catching a falling star in a magical land. The star is Claire Danes, and no I'm not saying that her career is dying in this film, it is a fantasy were witches, kings, and this boy are all after the same prize for different reasons.

Michelle Pfeiffer plays a witch who is after the fallen star's heart because it restores youth, and Robert De Niro is a gay pirate who teaches Tristan to fight while helping them on their journey. This is indeed a kids film, not a bad one at that, but just not a movie made for me.

I could see watching this with my daughter some day [not soon], but for a watch by myself it wasn't all that great.

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0486655/

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The Basketball Diaries (1995)

Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg star in a mid-90's film will little to do about sports, and a lot to do with teenage drug usage. I think I would have liked this a lot more if I would have watched it when in high school.

Jim [DiCaprio] and Mickey [Mark] are best friends and play on the high school basketball team together. They go to Catholic school and roam the streets on New York at night. They start with drinking and smoking and daring each other to jump off cliffs into the river, but this eventually leads to then getting mixed up in heroic in crack. Both characters go over the edge, start robbing stores and living on the streets.

A teenage angst film that I'm afraid I've outgrow. I'm afraid to watch  The Beach again, a movie I gave a 10 in high school, and that I fear I would not feel the same about today.

Vote: 5/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112461/

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Confessions: Kokuhaku (2010)

Like I have been doing for several years now with documentaries, I am now starting to watch more foreign films. Films shortlisted by failing to get a nomination. With 80+ submissions [one each from most major countries] there are a lot to choose from. For an LFR first I'll plug my favorite blog to read, writer Dzong2 has a blog he just calls Foreign Films, and what he lacks in a creative title for a blog he makes up for in some extensive analysis on the foreign film race. Of his 9 predictions for the final 5, he ranked this one 4th, so I gave it a shot since it did not get a nomination.

The film starts out frantic, a busheling classroom is ignoring a teacher as she hands out milk to the class on the last day of the term. She is telling them a story about her daughter who drowned earlier in the school year and has a convincing argument that it was not accidental.

Her conclusions and revenge are shocking, enough to almost put this in a horror/thriller category. The problem with the film for me was the unbelievable reactions of the two kids. The film is kind of broken into three parts as we get "confessions" from multiple characters that all come together in a thrilling conclusion. I can see why this was not given a nomination, and even found it to be a strange submission in the first place. It was however an Asian Film finalist along with winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, and China's submission Aftershock.

Vote: 4/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1590089/

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The Tillman Story (2010)

I have really been enjoying the Oscar documentaries and have been finding more and more of the short listed films from the last years. This one, which was shortlisted last year, but not a finalist projected to be on that final list by a number of Oscar predicting websites. It has the criteria for an Oscar nominee, well put together, high profile, and a clear message. But was lacking something...

The film is about Pat Tillman, a phenomenal athlete, who played professional football for the Arizona Cardinals. After 9/11 he, and his brother, decided to join the military. Without being rude toward the Army, let's just say that the majority of soldiers now are kids fresh out of high school looking for direction. These were not exactly the peers that Pat was expecting, and while on a tour in Afghanistan he was killed by friendly fire.

The enraging part of the film is that it was covered up. The US government went against all of Pat's wishes and held a public funeral which was heavily attended by high ranking officials, and the family was told that he was a hero and saved others in his battalion. Through amazing efforts the family was able to find out the truth, and this is their story. It is a sad a tragic story with the government coverup completely uncovered, but the problem is that the topic just isn't that big.

I liked the film, but two hours to get to the bottom of this was pretty slow and a little boring. I get it. It was wrong. The men responsible for lying and making him a hero have done much much worse things in their lives that they will have to answer for, and for that alone I just didn't find it all that informative or interesting. Just ok for me.

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1568334/

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Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives: Loong Boonmee raleuk chat (2010)

Not a pretentious film, but one that is embraced by pretentious people. I've read reviews with lines like, "Though not for everyone, it is a must see for anyone who treasures cinema." So... since this film made no sense to me don't know how to treasure cinema?

A film make in Thailand, spoken in Thai, and the country's submission to the Oscar Foreign Film committee for awards consideration. Winner of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and The Best Film in Thailand. It is critically acclaimed in Asia, and probably would be a pretty good film if I understood Thai culture and was also Buddist.

But I'm not, and the film... which centers around Boonme, who is dying of what I believe is Kidney failure. There seems to be some form of dialysis or just emptying of his kidney's, but it is pretty clear he is about to die. While on his deathbed [figuratively, because he is still able to get around with some assistance], he recalls his childhood, past lives, and speaks with ghosts of loved ones who have passed.

I've read a lot about this film since, trying to understand it. The problem is that it is both hard to follow and full of metaphors. So there are scenes were a monk showers and puts on street cloths and this is supposed to be a metaphor about Thai society and so forth. Oh yeah, and the catfish performing oral sex on the princess was bizarre enough to make me tell everyone to avoid this one. If you want a bizarre foreign film check out: Dogtooth.

Vote: 2/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1588895/

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