Easy A (2010)

This is a comedy film directed by Will Gluck. The film is great and enjoyable. Emma Stone, who plays main character, is just fabulous. The script and dialogues are real and interesting thanks to Bert V. Royal. The film was partially inspired by The Scarlet Letter (1850) and it refers to this story a couple of times.

Olive Penderghast, played by fabulous Emma Stone, lies to her best friend about sex with a handsome college guy. The rumour spreads around their school really fast and soon whole school knows how she has lost her virginity. The guys who she has never spoken before start noticing her. Suddenly, she becomes very popular.

Her gay friend Brandon asks her to pretend to sleep with him and soon other guys ask the same. Olive becomes a “dirty skank” and in order to embrace her new identity she stitches scarlet “A” (as in The Scarlet Letter) to all her clothes.

I am glad that I have watched this film. Before watching, I hesitated thinking that it will be some girly teen film with loads of drama. But, to my surprise, I have discovered such an incredible actress like Emma Stone. I have enjoyed her entire performance and I think I should give credits to film director as well.

You can watch this film with your teenage children. You will definitely enjoy it!

Reviewer’s rating: 8.0 out of 10

Incendies (2010)

This is a Quebec film written and directed by Denis Villeneuve. It is the hardest and most emotional film I have seen in last couple of month. If you are not used to shocking endings and looking for easily-forgettable film, then this film is not for you. Watch anything, but not this. I am still under impression after I have watched it and will be for a long time.

The story is about twin brother and sister following mysterious will left by their mother. She has not spoken for a couple of years and they do not know why she ceased talking. They travel to her past and face revelations so harsh and sad that these will inadvertently roll tears in your eyes.

Film-director has done a great job, but the greatest role in success of this film is its story which was based on play written by Wajdi Mouawad. Incredible, yet realistic, it takes place in imaginary country and the war is imaginary. But I have done some research and found out that the country and war are very similar to Lebanon and Lebanese civil war (Wajdi Mouawad was born in Lebanon.)

You will see all brutalities and atrocities of war in this film: rape, murder, a child taken from mother, a mother burned alive in front of her child’s eyes, etc. I should mention actors’ excellent performances which provide film and story with realism. Nawal Marwan, main character and mother of twins was immaculately delivered by Lubna Azabal.

If you are looking for an unforgettable and impressive film, then go for Incendies. It has the capacity to change a person and bring something new to their life. It is surely not a family film. Watch it with friends and be ready for tears!

Reviewer’s rating: 9.5 out of 10

The Chameleon (2010)

The director of “The Chameleon” is Jean-Paul Salomé. It is based on true story from the life of Frederic Bourdin, French serial impostor, who was nicknamed “The Chameleon” by press. In 1990s he impersonated missing child Nicholas in Texas, and has been arrested and jailed. The names, years and places in the film are altered. The story seems incredible, yet while watching you understand that such things really happen.

I will tell you a little about the story. A young man (Mark-Andre Grondin) is found on the road in France. After a week of silence at hospital, at last he is able to speak and narrate his story. He claims to be an American boy, Nicholas Mark Randall who disappeared four years ago. He says that he was kidnapped, raped and tortured by child prostitution ring in France and was physically altered to be unrecognizable.

He now has a French accent and different eye colour. Nicholas’ sister Kathy Jansen (Emilie de Ravin) travels from the United States to France to take him back. His mother, Kimberly Miller (Ellen Barkin) and half-brother Brendan Kerrigan (Nick Stahl) do not accept him. FBI agent Jennifer Johnson (Famke Janssen) suspects that the man is impostor. While she seeks proofs, the story of real Nicholas starts to emerge.

Though in the end many questions remain unanswered and the scenes seem erratically paced, in my opinion, the film depicts the way things happened in real; the real story was as unclear for real characters as it is, for film viewers. It is difficult to understand certain details throughout the film as if somebody hides something, but again this seems rather intentional.

Overall, I think “The Chameleon” is a good watch in the company of friends. If you like crime films, you will surely enjoy this film. But be prepared for some confusion!

Reviewer’s rating: 6.5 out of 10

Rio (2011)

“Rio” is an animation film directed by Carlos Saldanha. It is colourful and beautifully made with lots of exotic animals (mainly birds) and music. The story mainly takes place in Rio, and Rio, of course, cannot be depicted without Carnival and Christ the Redeemer. I loved the colours and animation itself, but the story left no impression on me. It was not special or interesting. It was just a story among many stories.

A small, male blue macaw is found and adopted by child Linda Gunderson. 15 years later both Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) and Linda (Leslie Mann) are grown-ups living in Moose Lake, Minnesota. The other birds ridicule Blu, because he is a pet and cannot fly. They are visited by ornithologist, Túlio Monteiro (Rodrigo Santoro) from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who claims that Blu is the last male of his species. He wants to take him to Brazil to mate female macaw.

Though hesitant, Linda agrees and they are flown to Rio. There, Blu meets different birds, and more importantly he meets Jewel (Anne Hathaway), female macaw. But they both get kidnapped by a group of smugglers and this is how their adventure begins.

The story is quite predictable. When it is revealed that Blu cannot fly, it is absolutely clear that in the end at a very crucial moment he suddenly and magically will be able to fly. Or it is predictable from the very start that the story will have a happy ending and macaws will fall in love with each other. So as I said there is nothing special about the story.

“Rio” is a good watch for children, but not for the adults. Still if you are a family person, you might like to watch it with your children, because children will add a colour to the film.

Reviewer’s rating: 6.5 out of 10

Hotel Rwanda (2004)

“Hotel Rwanda” was directed by Terry George, and is a great film. It has been nominated for various awards. The film and story has similarity with “Schindler’s List” and as “Schindler’s list” it is based on true story. During Rwandan Genocide in 1994, the man named Paul Rusesabagina used his influence as the manager of Hotel des Mille Collines and saved 1268 people by sheltering them in the hotel.

Rwandan Genocide was not committed by another nation, but, by one brother against the other. Hutu and Tutsi peoples are described as two tribes, yet, in my opinion, they are just brothers and sisters divided by foreign invaders. It reminds me of old Latin saying “Divide et impera”, meaning “Divide and rule”. This is what German and Belgium rules did to Rwanda. As it is mentioned in the film, Belgians even measured noses in order to divide people, who had so much in common.

Paul (Don Cheadle) is a Hutu, but his wife Tatiana (Sophie Okonedo) is Tutsi. Paul is a very professional hotel manager, who is discreet, knows how to handle things and has a “style”. As the situation in the country worsens, Paul brings up his family and neighbours to the hotel and shelters them. Many refugees come to the hotel for shelter. Paul cannot turn them away.

European colonial powers that gave birth to this conflict are not there when people get killed everywhere around. All foreign nationals get evacuated, while Rwandans sheltered in the hotel stay behind watching them to leave. Though I knew what is going to happen, I was utterly disappointed to see how people were left not just to die, but, to be brutally killed.

The actors’ performances are so good that characters make us to sympathize with them and feel their pain, worry and despair. Thanks to actors’ acting skills and director’s marvelous work, the film is a great watch. In terms of Rwandan Genocide it is quite informative as well.

Reviewer’s rating: 8.5 out of 10   

The Orphanage (2007) (El Orfanato)

“El Orfanato” is a film debut of Spanish film director Juan Antonio Bayona. The film was produced by his good friend Guillermo del Toro. “The Orphanage” has some similarity with Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth”, but it has more elements of horror.

The film grips from the start and keeps viewers tense till the end. The scenes are well-paced and each scene makes viewers to expect something bad. Three things that make a great film are all present in “The Orphanage”. The director has done a marvelous job. The performances, especially Belén Rueda’s acting, are excellent. But more importantly, the story itself is great and incredible. The story makes film not just a horror film, but, sad and heartbreaking story of mother. It takes place in Spain.

Laura (Belén Rueda) and her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) together with their seven-year-old adopted son, Simon move to the house of her childhood – orphanage, where she lived until her adoption. She wants to reopen orphanage for disabled children. But soon we find out that this is not an ordinary house.

Everything that makes a perfect horror house is present in this film; ghosts of children, cracking floors and doors and other strange noises. The combination of these stuff and other clever directorial maneuvers build the tension up throughout the film. I do not want to tell more about the film, because it is better to watch it without any idea what will happen to the characters.

I enjoyed "The Orphanage" very much and it left a lasting impression on me. You will definitely enjoy this film, but if you do not like horror films, then it is not for you. It is better watch something else.

Reviewer’s rating: 8.5 out of 10

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (2010)

This is an animation film directed by Zack Snyder and based on the books “Guardians of Ga’Hoole” by Kathryn Lasky. Beside than having owls as the main characters, in my opinion, nothing is special about this animation. It is about the usual fight between good and evil and expected victory of good over evil.

Soren (Jim Sturgess) is a young barn owl. He lives with his parents, older brother Kludd (Ryan Kwanten) and younger sister Eglantine (Adrienne DeFaria) in the forest. His father tells his children the stories of Guardians of Ga’Hoole. They are mythical group of warrior owls. In the past they saved all owlkind from the evil “Pure Ones”. Does it remind you of anything? Oh, right. Nazis.

One night in the forest Soren and his brother Kludd are kidnapped by two owls. The owls bring them to the home of evil Pure Ones. There, many little owls kidnapped from various places are turned into slaves. Those who do not protest and who are weak are sent to be pickers. While stronger, faster and obedient owls get trained and become soldiers.

Though barely able to fly, Soren and his little friend Gylfie escape from slavery. They fly after Guardians of Ga’Hoole in order to bring help, inform them about evil Pure Ones’ plans and save little owlets.

This is an enjoyable film for children and might be a little bit boring for adults. As different kinds of owls were depicted in the film, those who love owls and can distinguish one kind from another will definitely enjoy it, too.

Reviewer's rating: 6.5 out of 10