Review CXIV - A Walk to Remember

Review 114
A Walk to Remember (2002)

I didn't expect this movie to be good, but this movie had haunted me for a while... That makes it sound ominous, but that's not what I mean. I remember a friend many, many years back talked about this movie, and it had been referenced quite a few places. But like Soul Plane, it should have stayed buried... I'm talking about Adam Shankman's A Walk to Remember starring Mandy Moore and Shane West. Now, a quick search shows me that the film was slammed by critics - except Roger Ebert apparently (?!) - but praised by audiences. I decided it was time to break the curse - it was time to watch this movie and see just how bad it was.

Insert typical love teen romance. Insert devote, secluded, isolated Christian follower who's HOT and an angsty, bad ass teenage boy who falls for her. Insert bad ass friends and quirky black character. Insert bad ass friends reject boy when he decides to go with the girl. Insert boy doing everything for this guy while keeping his pants in check. Insert cancer (real cancer, not just the film), what a twist! Insert death. Insert medical school. Insert teenage romance never dies.

Guys... This film... Okay, let me get one thing straight. I'm not a romance type. I liked When Harry Met Sally... for example, but Say Anything... ? No. I mean, a little sub-plot of romance, fine, but... Okay, how about I say I don't like chick flicks? Alain Delon films do not count! I jest, but yeah, chick flicks are my nemesis being of that gender. So really, what was I expecting from A Walk to Remember? Not much, but I was expecting more. Let's go through this, shall we?

The acting. It was bad. No, seriously, it was bad. Shane West was awful. It was just edge the whole way through. Everything was wooden and lacking. Mandy Moore? Not any better. Again, this wooden acting every damn time. How can you get away with this? This was like watching a teenage play, but probably worse. It's almost like Dean Learner's delivery. But here I wanted an act, not someone putting on the truth.

The writing. Now, I can bitch about the acting, but my boyfriend - who got maybe five minutes into the film and was already dying - pointed out a valid point: The dialogue is atrocious. And it is. It was like the writers had never sat down with anyone and talked. Instead, they had them speak perfectly square sentences or just had really awkward phrases. Maybe it's Nicholas Sparks, the writer of whose book this is based on (please never read that), but the screenplay was written by some woman named Karen Janszen. Just look at the other films she's written for. Yeah, we were doomed from the beginning.

The plot. This ties into the writing, but it deserves a separate section. It was bad. I mean, again, what did I expect? I didn't expect anything good, but I'm going to go on a rant here. These damn films play into this idea that women can change men. Shane West's character (Layden I think? ... Oh, Landon) was this bad boy who nearly killed a kid and gets forced into doing some extracurricular activities at school. He happens upon Mandy Moore's character (Sam? Was that her name? ... It was Jamie. Woops) and nearly bites her face off. And then she sings some song at the end of some play and BAM, he falls for her. He abandons his friends, his lifestyle, and devotes (again, this word) his world to this girl. I mean, look, I can't say it's impossible, but this guy buys a STAR for this girl. I mean, shit, c'mon. He doesn't believe in God as she does, and yet we never have a debate. It's never an issue. I don't know - this girl brings up her faith rather frequently. I could see it being a problem, no? I mean, I've had debates even with just friends who had rather strict religious upbringings. I couldn't imagine myself staying wit- okay, sorry, I deviated a little too much. Basically, this guy left all his friends for this girl he's known for two weeks. I can't see this working out. And yet it does. He abandons everything. Even his mom gets a little worried when he decides he wants to go to medical school (we'll get back to this point in a minute). Let's be realistic here - this relationship is doomed and completely unrealistic. But this film plays on this fantasy teenage girls must have that they can form a guy to be exactly what they want. You can't. And it's disgusting if people take advice from these shitty, shitty films. How about a realistic relationship film? How about one where the two accept their differences and love each other? Because as much as there's this notion of "opposites attract", that's in magnetism, not between people.

Now, the plot there with the father and Landon? Garbage. I have never seen such shitty writing. This kid is upset because his father abandoned his family, yet I think it was just a divorce since the father wants to be close to his son. I mean, he's a cardiologist, so I would hope his son would be smarter than this. Although Landon does get into medical school, he's socially inept. Anyway, the only reason he ends up reconciling with his dad because his dad pays for private care for Jamie. I'm out. I'm freakin' OUT.

The way the girl brings up cancer is also really bad. I mean, damn, she reveals it for no apparent reason in an alley. She's apparently known for two years, has stopped treatment, and never even mentioned it to Landon. What a bitch! Wouldn't this be something you would tell someone you love BEFORE you start messing with their emotions? I'm wondering if this cancer plot is just a way of preserving a doomed relationship in the early stages of puppy love. Or maybe it's just bad writing.

The Christian plot was also... awkward. I mean, again, there is never a debate. Landon doesn't believe in God, yet we get these awkward scenes where Jamie brings it up casually and talks about Landon being her angel. Wouldn't you feel uncomfortable if you weren't religious and your significant other started bringing up this stuff? ... I guess it's just me. It really didn't make sense to me to have this part. I guess maybe it's just because it was in the book, but it didn't translate to the screen well at all. But then nothing did.

A Walk to Remember feeds into the teenage girl's dream about romance where you can model your boyfriend to abandon his life for you, all while having cancer and loving Jesus. Let us never speak of this one again.

Review LXXIV - 28 Days Later...

Review LXXIV
28 Days Later... (2002)

I completely missed out on Halloween, guys. I promised my friend I'd help him tackle his feminist course and ended up waking up ten minutes before I had to leave (five hours of sleep is over-powered). The rest of the day consisted of running around doing errands (and cracking jokes about politicians with my friend) before heading to my class which was from 18:00 until 22:00. I got home, completely exhausted, and watched Moon (probably won't review it, so in a nutshell, I guessed the plot early on, but it's still an interesting watch)... And went to bed at three in the morning. Yep, I missed out. Thus, I spent the early afternoon listening to Dave Brubeck Quartet, Foster the People, and Karkwa as I studied, and then proceeded to watch Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later... starring the ever wonderful Cillian Murphy and the great Naomie Harris, as well as Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns, and Christopher Eccleston.

The film opens with three activists rescuing what they think are innocent primates being experimented on. However, upon opening up a cage - much to the protests of a scientist who says they are infected with "rage" (no, not the French word for rabies) - the primate lunges at one of the activists... Jim (Murphy) wakes up in a hospital in the UK, completely deserted. He quickly finds out what happened when he's attacked by a priest and several church-attendees who are no longer human. He's rescued by two individuals, Mark (Noah Huntley) and Selena (Harris), who inform that a virus spread through contact with blood and saliva has infected all of Britain and potentially the world. Now it is up to these last people standing to survive in a zombie-infected country.

As you know - or don't know - I love zombie films. Horror movies rarely cut it for me (since they're all so lame usually), but I really love the analogy zombies present and the gore that is associated with it. This film, while it doesn't have gore really, is a great take on the zombie series. The zombies in this film are not slow-walking, brain-eating moaners, but, instead, run as a normal person could, throw up blood to infect individuals, and enjoy feasting on the human body as whole. Yum, yum. Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland decided to make the virus just propel the "rage" in individuals to an extreme, which is why they can run and all. They also decided to change the brain-eating bit, I think it was because they thought it was old-fashioned, but I could be wrong. Either way, I thought it was a cool idea. The zombies in this film aren't representing the sheep-driven, zombie-like mob human beings can be, but instead, exaggerate the anger and rage and animalistic nature they possess. Neat, eh? I think the metaphor is befitting, and the film handles it well. It also works well in showing how Jim develops as a character as well, but I'll let you watch the film to get that idea, hehe.

The characters were great. Jim, well, is great. I liked him with his ethics (and lack of) and beautiful eyes... I mean, character disposition. Cillian Murphy, you did a great job! Maybe you were a bit... emotionless at times, but I don't know, I ate up your character. But you know who I want to talk about? Selena. Oh, yes. She's not just there as a love interest, but instead, an interesting, well-developed, fierce, and strong woman lead who isn't afraid to fight fire with fire. Guys, I find it so rare for me to have a female character I legitimately like. Usually they're just there and don't do all that much, but Selena is grand. Her backup story is that she was forced to kill her parents in order to save her brother, only to find he was infected. This helps explain her rage (ah? See? Comparison to the zombies again), but her rage is not so extreme that I turned her down. No, she was human. Her rage and emotional intelligence and sadness show that she is a three-dimensional character. Oh, I loved her. Thank you, Naomie Harries. Please, I just wish there existed more characters like her in horror films, and not just woman-screaming as they run from a slasher. And guess what? This film provides me with another great female character! Hannah (Megan Burns) is also an adolescent who is strong and cunning. She doesn't get as much screentime as Selena, but she's still a great character. Again, a character I really enjoyed. I also like how the director plays on these strong-willed female characters in the mansion, but I don't wish to ruin anything, so I'll be quiet.

At first, I can't say I was really into the whole way the film was shot. When Jim is walking about, the camera shots seemed off to me (that zoom-in into the wall was really meh, I found), but it played out well in the end. I realise they were going for a more realistic feel, and I became more accepting of it as the film went on. I guess I'm just too used to smooth-cut films. The quality of the film also isn't the best (at least the one I watched), but apparently this should be expected. In the end, I can say I liked how it went about and how it was shot. Really authentic, guys.

Sigh, I really enjoyed this film. I'm sorry I didn't watch it earlier. While I wouldn't agree with the cover of the film as being super scary, it was interesting and well-done. It wasn't cheesy and the gore was limited, but I still really enjoyed it. It might not be Halloween anymore, and even be All Saints' Day, but check this film out. It's a really grand zombie film. Happy (belated) Halloween everyone!

Pirate Bay torrent (quality not the best, in my opinion, but anywho)

Review LXIII - Punch-Drunk Love

Review LXIII
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

There's only one Adam Sandler film I can say I like, and that is Billy Madison. Mind you, I have not seen it in years, and, when I did re-watch it that second time many years ago, it was mostly just the nostalgic feeling I got that kept me from turning off the film. I don't necessarily recall The Wedding Singer being that bad, but I never watched it fully, so I'm not including it on the list. Anyway, all this is to say that Adam Sandler's films have been the pits. They focus on stupid humour, and, while I can appreciate stupid humour once in a blue moon, Grown Ups and the like really make me pull out my hair. Still, there is one film that Adam Sandler has appeared in that almost got him an Oscar nomination. Are we talking about the right guy here? Yes, we are, and the film is Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love starring Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Luis Guzmán, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Barry Egan (Adam Sandler), the owner of a company specialising in toilet plungers that are immune to breakage, witnesses an intense car accident one morning, along with the dropping of a harmonium. A woman, Lena Leonard (Emily Watson), also stops by as her car has broken down, asking if Barry would mind making sure the mechanic gets around to it. This encounter brings light into Barry Egan's life, amidst the crazy sex hotline worker out to get him and his seven arrogant and domineering sisters.

Considering this film sold itself as a romantic comedy-drama, I was a little surprised, at first, at how surreal this was. It definitely isn't your typical romantic comedy. I wouldn't even call it that comedic. It had some pretty outrageous scenes where you can't help but laugh, but, most of the time, I was cringing at how bad Barry was treated. Either way, this film is different, which is expected from Paul Thomas Anderson. The plot itself is very different. It had some weird dialogue, but given the peculiar characters, it fits well. The acting is done very well, and this might be because Adam Sandler is actually legitimately acting well. There was no cringing involved when he was in a scene, unless it was because I felt bad for his character. The rest of the acting I cannot complain about. It was well done. Again, they were all able to capture the surreal feel very well. The cinematrography is, I find, quite contrast-y, and was filmed with a speak stock film which gave a really strong shadow front. This also gives Punch-Drunk Love a very surreal touch to it. Still, if there is one thing I can praise the film for, it would be its shots. Oh my, there are some magnificent shots in this film. If you want to see a film that has wonderful cinematography, check this one out. Even if the plot doesn't catch your eye, and the characters, a bit flimsy, the way this movie was shot - it's a keeper.

I'd give the film seven point seven on ten. The plot wasn't the best, though the characters could be quite meaningful. Nonetheless, the cinematography is to die for. It's definitely worth a viewing if ever you're looking for a weird but slightly cute film.

Pirate Bay torrent

Review XV - Park Chan-wook's Vengeance Trilogy

Review XV
Park Chan-wook's Vengeance Trilogy

As you already know from my Joint Security Area review, I would call Park Chan-wook an outstanding director. In fact, I would go as far as to say that he is definitely one of my favourite directors of all time. Oldboy was the first film I watched from him a few years back. I thought it was a film that stood alone, but when I found out it was actually the second installment in a trilogy from Park Chan-wook, I made it a goal to watch the other films as well. First, obviously, we shall start with the first film of the trilogy, Boksuneun naui geot, or, as it is known in English, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance.

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Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)

After 2000's Joint Security Area was a huge success, Park Chan-wook was given la carte blanche to make whatever film he wanted. He completed the vengeance-minded script he had been writing before Joint Security Area. This became the next film Park Chan-wook directed and wrote, and it became known as Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance.

Ryu (Shin Ha-kyun) is a deaf and dumb man whose sister (Lim Ji-eun) is in desperate need for a kidney transplant. When he is laid off from his job at a factory and loses the money to pay for the transplant when he tries to sell his own kidney to a group of illegal organ donors, Cha Yeong-mi (Doona Bae), his anarchist-supporting girlfriend convinces Ryu to kidnap his old boss' (Sang Kang-ho) daughter in order to get the money they need. Things go terribly wrong, however, which results in revenge from both sides.

I didn't get to watch the film in one sitting, but I still enjoyed it. The first thing I really liked about it was the vengeance and revenge was not one-sided. You felt for both Ryu and Park Dong-jin (Song Kang-ho's character) in the anger they felt. It wasn't like Ryu was the bad guy because we saw the hard life he endured with both his sister and his own life; the same goes for Park Dong-jin - he may be the head of a large company, but he isn't shown as a sadistic man who only cares about money. He loves his daughter, and he, too, is enduring hard circumstances in life. This results in the viewer not being able to choose sides, which leads to an even more emotionally-tearing film.

I also liked the characters themselves. Ryu was sweet, trying his hardest to do the right thing for his sister, but never quite making it. Park Dong-jin's character was, again, a sympathetic man who was not just a "big boss". He was also sweet, and the viewer could sympathise with him, just like the title suggests. Not to mention the acting was pretty good! Ryu pulled off a deaf and dumb man very well, and, well, Song Kang-ho delivered a great performance as usual.

Nonetheless, I found the film a bit slow. It took a little too long for things to get going. In fact, if I recall correctly, the first hour is just the build-up to the kidnapping of the daughter, and the film is two hours long. After that, I found the film went about nicely, but the fact that it took half the duration of the film to get to the main point of the film, and introduce the other protagonist seems a bit too exaggerated for me.

I'd give the film a seven point six on ten. I thought the story was interesting, the acting grand, the actors compelling, but still, it was a slow-moving film for a good part of the film. It's definitely worth a watch. Also, if you can, I heard there's a version that goes from colour to black and white. I didn't see that version, but it might be interesting to watch.

Pirate Bay torrent

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Oldboy (2003)

The second film in the vengeance trilogy is, I would say, the most recognised film in the trilogy, as well as one of the films Park Chan-wook is best known for internationally. It is actually based on the Japanese manga Old Boy from Tsuchiya Garon and Minegishi Nobuaki, though Park Chan-wook adapted it into a screenplay. I couldn't tell you how accurately it follows the manga as I never read it, but the main idea is the same. Also, I haven't watched this film in a few months so please bare with me in the review.

Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) gets drunk one night on his daughter's birthday. He's taken into a police station in response to his disorderly conduct, but his friend, No Joo-hwan (Ji Dae-han) thankfully bails him out. Suddenly Oh Dae-su is kidnapped and taken into solitary confinement for fifteen years, finding out through the televised news that his wife was murdered, he has been accused as the murderer, and his daughter was put in the care of foster parents. One day he finds himself on top of a roof in a suit and is determined to find out why and who placed him in that room for fifteen years. Along the way he befriends a woman, Mi-do (Kang Hye-jeon), but the journey to finding the truth is a lot worse than Oh Dae-su is expecting.

The two times I watched this film, I watched it with English dubbing (it was the only version available at the video store), and it was horribly dubbed. Nonetheless, I really loved the story and characters. It definitely deserves all the recognition it gets. As I mentioned, the story is well written - I should definitely check ou the manga. Park Chan-wook managed to take the story and make it into a wonderful film. However, the actors and actresses definitely made the film even better. Choi Min-sik, well, you already know he is a wonderful actor (I Saw the Devil, for example). Kang Hye-jeon takes Mi-do's character and makes her even more sweet than expected. I was actually shocked to see she was the Director's Wife in Three... Extremes. She definitely has some good acting abilities! Yu Ji-tae (he comes in later in the film) is also takes his character and makes him his own. It was an amazing performance that made him completely believable in his role. I thought the beginning with the drunken scene was a bit unnecessary. There were other means to show he had a daughter and wife without including a ten minute scene. It's funny because while I thought the intro to Ryu in Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance was too long, here I thought it was a little too short or even just unnessary. Still, it helps put into place Oh Dae-su's character, and we get to see Choi Min-sik act drunk. The only major complaint I really have would just be the dubbing performance, but that's not the fault of the director and the actors. It was definitely a wasteful performance, and I hope the dubbed version international audiences watch is a lot better than the one I watched because it's distracting.

I'd give the film an eight point two on ten. The story was interesting, the acting great, and just an overall entertaining but sad film. My favourite from the vengeance trilogy, and a film to show to your friends to introduce them to the works of Park Chan-wook.

Pirate Bay torrent (subs!)

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Lady Vengeance (2005)

The final film, Chinjeolhan geumjassi (Korean title), in the vengeance trilogy. It has also been called Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, but for whatever reason, in certain areas, the film is only known as Lady Vengeance. Reminds me of a bit of Dead Alive...

Lee Geum-ja (Lee Yeong-ae), also known as Kind-Hearted Geum-Ja, is finally released from prison after serving a sentence of thirteen and a half years for the kidnapping and murder of a little boy, Park Won-mo, a crime she actually did not commit. While she showed a good nature in prison (helping others and displaying a strong Christian faith), now that she is out, she is out to get revenge on the real killer, Mr. Baek (Choi Min-sik). Even when she meets her daughter again, her mind is focused on revenge, and it seems like nothing will get in her way.

The film, I find, was a bit more comical, at least in terms of the visual effects. If you've watched the film, I'm pretty sure you'll see from where I'm coming from. Nonetheless, the story is definitely very dramatic and heavy. I don't find it as suspenseful as Oldboy and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, but there is one scene later in the film that I thought was actually very interesting. I won't give anything away, but watch the film, and I'm sure you can guess which scene it is. I thought the acting was good. Not the best, but good. I'd say the reason for this is that the characters were not, in my opinion, super well developped. I found the film lacked the depth that both Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy had. The story was good, but it wasn't as good as the films before it. The characters seemed a bit rushed overall, and while Lee Yeong-ae and Choi Min-sik didn't deliver bad performances, I think had the characters been more developped, their performances could have been phenomenal. However, I did enjoy seeing all the main characters of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy in the film as well. Make sure to look out for them!

I'd give the film seven point five stars on ten. It lacked a serious tone throughout the film that bothered me a bit. I found the film a bit rushed, and just not as good as the films before it. It's better than the average film, that's for sure, but in terms of what I expected considering Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy, it was a bit disappointing. Although I sound like I didn't like the film, I did. I thought it was funny, and the final scene is heart-wretching. You do feel for Lee Geum-ji, but I would have preferred that throughout the film, not just one scene. I think had Jenny (Lee Geum-ji's daughter) suffered a similar fate as Park Won-mo (the little boy), I think it would have made a better film. While I think satisfying selfish revenge was what the point of the film was, I think in terms of story, the death of Jenny would have been better. However, that's just my take on the story. It's still worth a watch, but I wouldn't say it was my favourite in the trilogy. There was just something it lacked, though I can't quite put my finger on it.

Pirate Bay torrent