Worth To Watch:

Zodiac

Zodiac is based on a true events about serial killer that lived around San Fransisco Bay Area that later written into book by Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal).
When the event occured, Graysmith is working as newspaper cartoonist, loves to solve puzzle which leads him to want to solve the mystery surrounding Zodiac. Paul Avery (Robert Downey, Jr) who is working on the story soon notice that Graysmith not just some “cartoonist”, but there is something behind his innocent look and act. Later both become friends and are so obsessed in finding who’s the man behind Zodiac.
When the police stops the investigation, it doesn’t stop Graysmith’s obsession. He gets married but later the marriage seemed about to fall apart because his life is all about Zodiac, without the knowledge of his wife, he even use his kids to help him solving the mystery. Until his wife thinks that his obsession can cause the family in great danger.
He plans to write a book about it so he asked his old friend, Avery, to help him. Avery, who is used to be a very confident (and probably a little too proud of himself) has changed into alcoholic man and his life is in the mess. Avery decline Graysmith’s offer but that it didn’t stop him. He decided to write it himself.
Another important character in the movie was David Toschi (Mark Ruffallo). His investigation for all these years led him to believe that his former suspect Arthur Leigh Allen was Zodiac. Graysmith believes him and starts looking back to all the investigation that has been done by Toschi before. The Zodiac case also pretty much ruined Toschi’s life. There are times when he got accused of sending fake message from Zodiac.
This movie is directed by David Fincher (Panic Room, Fight Club). With the length for almost three hours, this movie is not the kind you watch when you’re tired or just looking for some light entertainment. This movie makes the audience to think and possibly trying to solve the mystery in their own mind.
Even though this movie is about serial kiler, but I say it’s more to drama than thriller also there is at least one stabbing scene that can make you turn away from the screen. If you’re prepare your self mentally and physically then you can handle this movie and in fact consider as one of the best psychological thriller drama of the year (or last year). I even confident to say that so far this is the Fincher’s best.
All three main actors, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr and Mark Rufallo are superb. The supported actors aren’t so bad either. It’s great to see Chloe Sevigni on big screen again because after Boys Don’t Cry, I believe that she still has a chance in winning some award, possibly Oscar, although not in this movie, though, since her character here reminds me of Nikki in Big Love, maybe because of the dress she wore.

Devil’s Backbone
After watching The Orphanage and being SO impressed with that I decide to rent Devil’s Backbone. Plus I kept reading some people compare those two movies (three with Pan’s Labyrinth) and even claimed that this is the best of the three.
So, with the high hope that it’s gonna frightening more than The Orphanage, I was disappointed to know that it isn’t horror or scary movie at all.
I would say that it was more to drama with a bit of thriller. Sure it has ghost but I didn’t get the creepiness like I experience with The Orphanage. In fact, I was disappointed that the Ghost reminds me of The Grudge, who more looked funny than scary.
But I decided to put this in the list of something that worth to watch after trying to view it as different genre instead.
The movie set on 1939, during the civil war in Spain. A boy named Carlos (Fernando Tielve) left by his tutor in a orphanage run by headmistress named Carmen (Marisa Paredes) and a Professor Casares. As new kid in the town he felt like he’s not acceptable and even bullied by some. Until one day he offered the challenge to get a water in the middle of the night at the storage’s room.
He met a ghost named Santi who told him that “Many of you will die.” He learned that Santi isn’t run away from the Orphanage but somehow died and possibly being killed there.
What makes this movie is watchable mainly because how interesting the character are. The headmistress Carmen with fake leg and having secret relation with Jacinto who is so much younger than him, the professor who seemed has a special feeling for Carmen, Jacinto of course a handsome young man but being afraid by most of the student and his girlfriend Conchita who is a pretty and very nice young woman. Not too mention the orphan who lived in that orphanage.
Unfortunately, the bad news arrives that they have to move somewhere because the place soon isn’t gonna be save for them to stay especially the children. They have to move away. As I predict (and I am sure most the audience will do), Jacinto is really a bad man. He knows that the orphanage has kept some valuable gold and wants to steal it. He burnt the place and cause some people died. He can’t find the gold unfortunately and the Professor makes sure that Jacinto will never bothered them again.
But Jacinto actually goes somewhere and asking some help from his friend, who are also bad of course, to comeback and take the gold no matter what.
With the professor who is injured so bad and now dying and with Conchita headed to the town herself looking for help, the kids now all alone to defend themselves. This is of course the climax of the movie. Children versus bad guys who are adults. How on earth they can defeat Jacinto and his men? What about what the Ghost said that many of them will die? Well, you can find the answer when you watch the movie, of course.

Just Ummmm:

Away From Her
Another movie that I thought it’s gonna be so great especially that it’s drama and I LOVE this kind of movie. I actually imagine that it will be so touching just like Normal (Jessica Lange, Tom Wilkinson), but again I learned that high expectation mostly ended not as good…
The movie is about some old couple Grant and Fiona Anderson, who doesn’t seemed that old (at least in my opinion). They love cross country skiing and seemed still having as much fun as the other younger couples.
The problem is Fiona (Julie Christie) has started to show the sign of Alzheimer. It started with her putting the pan on the fridge until onetime she goes for skiing and then forgot how to come home. Fortunately, Grant finds him. Fiona later makes decision that it’s time for her to move to nursing home. Grant seemed mind about it but Fiona is insisted.
One of the rule in that nursing home that Grant shouldn’t visit or even contact Fiona for 30 days so she can adjust herself well there. But some nice nurse gives her number so Grant can contact her all the time to ask Fiona’s progress.
But what happen 30 days later is not what Grant really expect. Fiona seemed forget about him and made new best friend with another old man named Aubrey, who is now seemed jealous every time Grant comes by to see Fiona.
Not only that soon Fiona and Aubrey seemed fall in love to each other, don’t even remember that both has their own spouses. But onetime Aubrey’s wife, Marion brought Aubrey back home and leaves Fiona devastated, even the present of her own husband doesn’t help her at all.
The hard time leads Grant to go to Marion’s house and asked her to bring Aubrey’s back to the nursery so his wife can be happy again.
Seemed like a very touching story, but it doesn’t really work on screen at least for me personally. First of all because I have problems with Grant agrees to let Fiona’s goes to the nursery at the first place. First he doesn’t seemed THAT old, still strong, has clear mind and retired. So, he basically has time and strength to take care of her. Also, let say he needed help he can use the money they use for nursing home to probably hire some nurse to take care of Fiona. Also, the way the people who work at the nursery talk to him like he doesn’t has feeling or something is a bit weird to me.
So, all the things that I couldn’t accept in this movie makes me less care about what’s happen with both Grant and Fiona, so I am sorry to say that this movie isn’t really working for me.

The Look Out
I’m getting tired now so I am gonna make it short. This movie is about a young man who got into terrible accident that cause his two friends died and his girlfriend handicapped.
The young man named is Chris Pratt (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). The accident also effects his brain. Basically he has to learn everything all over again. He has to put label on things to make him remember and keeping a notebook to track things that he’s gonna do.
He lives with a roommate who is blind but very passionated in every way named Lewis (Jeff Daniels). Pratt also worked as a janitor in a local bank.
He met a new friend Gary (Matthew Goode) who actually plan to rob the place he worked. Pratt found himself getting more involve in this plan even it mean that he has to breakup his friendship with Lewis who doesn’t trust his “new” friends.
The movie isn’t bad but isn’t that good either. To my taste, it seemed so flat and the character are flat as well (with the exception of Jeff Daniels). So, it seemed to me they are just remembering their lines. Although, the ending of the movie is pretty impressive and I am glad they choose not do make it cliche. That’s what’s great about it I guess.

What to Avoid:

The Flock
First it seemed the movie has everything a movie should have. Great director and great actors. So, in this case, we have Andrew Lau who directed Infernal Affair which later adapted by Scorcese into The Departed. Then we have Richard Guy, a very likable and legendary actor and Claire Danes, who I think one of the most talented actress but haven’t given any more chance by Hollywood these last few years.
So, it seemed perfect. However, when the movie begin, everything started to feel wrong, from beginning to the end. The actors who supposedly are talented seemed to be miss cast, ALL of them. Whet they show their emotion, it seemed over the top and too dramatic. Too many flaw in character or in stories. But most of all on how Claire Danes’s character easily gain her trust back to Richard Gere’s character who is just pointed the gun on HER head in a second. Gere’s character’s frustration sometimes seemed like with no reason at all, or somehow the director can not really translated those well into big screen. The music also horrible, especially when it tried to sound TOO dramatic to a scene that I think doesn’t need such a dramatic sound. It just makes the scene looked stupid.
I won’t even bothered to tell the story about this movie, again it’s just feel so wrong.
The ending is so bad and using the cliche that 70-80’s movies already use like million times before.

White Noise 2
Well, what can you expect from a sequel to a movie who isn’t really THAT great. The worst part is the second movie isn’t even hold the same “aspect” as the first one. It’s already turning into Japanese horror movies kind of style, of course with no creepiness effects at all even though it seemed they tried hard for that but just doesn’t work.
I think that this movie shouldn’t called White Noise at all but fit more with the Final Destination crap, except with no gruesome violence.
My suggestion is just don’t waste your time with this one.