Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011)

Without doubt, Ghost Protocol is the best action film of 2011! It's very rare for the fourth film in a series to exceed it's predecessors.

Ghost Protocol has all the elements you could ask for in a pure adrenaline action film! The script was exceptionally written in the sense that there was a constant flow of action. The casting was right, the pacing was smooth, and the scene where Tom jumps off the tallest building in the world was mind-blowing! Apparently, Tom Cruise has no fear of heights since he executes most of his own stunts. When he said, "Go big or go home," he definitely meant it!

I'm glad that Jeremy Renner joined the IMF cast and it's no surprise that he's perfect for the role. Michael Nyqvist did a great job as the villain, contrary to his character as a detective in the swedish version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The fight between Paul Patton and Léa Seydoux was well choreographed. Benji, played by Simon Pegg, brought some comedic elements into the film such as:

Before Brandt jumps with the levitating metal suit:
Brandt "So I'm basically jumping into an oven"
Benji "Yes, but I'll catch you."

Leading up to the Burj Khalifa scene:
Benji "Okay, this is a slight wrinkle, but we'll have to go into the server room from the outside."
Ethan "We?"
Benji "Well I'm on the computer."

Referring to the gloves used to climb the side of the Burj Khalifa:
Benji "Remember, blue is glue."
Ethan "And red?"
Benji "Dead."

I love this film!

Ides of March (2011)

Ides of March is an intellectual film portraying the corrupt nature of politics. The plot is centered on Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) who is one of the main staffers for presidential candidate Mike Morris (George Clooney). Stephen is on his way to a promising future in the White House until he reluctantly agrees to meet Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti), the senior campaign manager of opposing candidate Pullman. This crucial mistake utterly sabotages his career as he appears to transform from an idealist strongly driven by morality to a corrupted politician as a result of vengeance.

I was immersed in this film in its entirety. You don't need to fully understand politics to enjoy Ides of March; although, it may be difficult to follow each character's motives for their actions. A second viewing would be ideal. I believe that the conclusion is open for interpretations as to whether Stephen has finally turned to corruption or has planned all along to expose Morris' wrongdoings.

In my opinion, Stephen ultimately keeps Morris' affairs discreet. First of all, he didn't need to attain the title of senior campaign manager through blackmail just to expose Morris. Ida (Marisa Tomei) would have gladly reported the story given adequate evidence despite Stephen being a "fired disgruntled employee." Secondly, it's possible that Stephen didn't have any evidence whatsoever and it was only his word against Morris'. Morris recognized that Molly's note could have been a bluff but didn't want to take chances. This is a legitimate decision considering the fact that impregnating an intern will, without doubt, ruin his chances of winning the campaign. Given this possibility, Stephen's accusation wouldn't bring any serious consequences without sufficient proof.

Ides of March has received some Oscar buzz. So far, it has received 4 Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture, Best Director (George Clooney), Best Actor (Ryan Gosling), and Best Screenplay. Leonardo DiCaprio, the executive producer of Ides, is an opposing Best Actor contender for his performance in J. Edgar.

The dialogue was brilliant and you must pay close attention in order to follow the plot. For a political thriller, this is a well-paced film with quick transitions between scenes. Personally, I thought it could have been 30 minutes longer.

Split Seconds (2011)

Split Seconds is a short action film based on the theme of the Rashomon effect, which is defined as a representation of three different perspectives of the same event. In order to incorporate the Rashomon technique, I wanted each perspective to have a different style.

Because of legal constraints, production of some footage had to be brought in house through the usage of green screen. Keying and masking the green screen footage complicates reflections, shadows, and depth of field since the edges need to be fine tuned. Due to creative control, I will be handling chroma-key effects and concentrating on refining the gamma thresholds. This process will ensure that dominant objects will be preserved.

Action films are complex, so be prepared for the unexpected. Especially on the last day or the last scene, which, in this case, had to be connected seamlessly when both actors were filmed separately! This was particularly in the dialogues between Sean and Driver in the car.

"Split Seconds" is one of the most costly and challenging shorts I've ever made.


Watch Split Seconds on IMDb

Fight Club (1999)

Fight Club is a brilliant, classic film and has an outstandingly well-written script and exceptional execution by director David Fincher. The film adaptation stays true to the novel with a few exceptions including the conclusion and flows smoothly as the story progresses along with constant narration by the main character. You may think that this film is all about violence, but you must delve deeper.

Throughout the duration of the film, the insomniac protagonist’s name is never mentioned; thus, he’s known as The Narrator. There are several theories such as Jack but that is based on figurative statements. On a flight home from his monotonous job, he meets Tyler Durden, a “soap salesman”, who leads to the spread of Fight Clubs in numerous basements around the country and later resulting in Project: Mayhem.

There is only one part that drags but, overall, this is a very fast-paced film that keeps you entertained and the intensity rises as The Narrator ventures deeper into crime and oblivion. During one of the action scenes, The Narrator is thrown down the stairs. The stunt man had to fall down the stairs eleven times and they ended up using the first take! I love that part!



In addition to Helena Bonham Carter as Marla Singer, Edward Norton and Brad Pitt are perfectly casted as the two friends who start the Fight Club in order to channel anger and aggression as a unique therapy. In addition to Primal Fear, this is Edward Norton’s second movie where he portrays a character with multiple personalities. Only The Narrator is more complex.



If you have not seen Fight Club, don’t read any further. Sorry, but I must continue, I love this film! In truth, Tyler is the manipulative alter ego of The Narrator. The Narrator may appear as only a member of Project: Mayhem under the leadership of Tyler, but he is actually the boss who leads numerous acts of vandalism.





After watching it a second time, you discover the countless clues throughout the film that leads to the cryptic twist at the conclusion. These meticulous details are proof of the non-existence of Tyler. Here are a few examples. Approximately 5 single frames of Tyler Durden randomly flash in the background of several different scenes before his character actually appears on screen. It’s as if The Narrator has already developed Tyler in his mind but just hasn’t released him yet. Also, Marla is never in the same frame with The Narrator and Tyler. There are many more clues; you just have to keep your eyes open.

Trailer

Blue Rain (2011)

A man is haunted by a dark memory of his past as he's filled with guilt and must learn to forgive himself.
 
I've just been introduced to the concept of surrealism.

Maya Deren, a surrealist filmmaker, defined surrealism as being, "...concerned with the interior experience of the individual. It does not record an event which could be witnessed by others. Rather, it reproduces the way in which the subconscious of an individual develops, interprets and elaborates an apparently simple and casual incident (or series of incidents) into a critical emotional experience."

Surrealist version: YouTube



Blue Rain extended version (2012) is now on IMDb

Aviator (2004)

This biographical film depicts the life of Howard Hughes, who is a successful filmmaker, creating numerous controversial films, and legendary aviator, accomplishing several world air-speed records throughout his lifetime. In addition, he is known to be one of the wealthiest men in the world.

Howard’s filmmaking career begins to prosper rapidly, receiving an Academy Award for his film Two Arabian Knights, which is the first time a comedy picture won the Best Director Award. Several of his high-budget films are Hell’s Angel, Scarface, and The Outlaw, which are large box-office success and claim to be highly controversial.

Being an icon in the 20th century, Howard Hughes has magnetized countless glamorous divas in Hollywood such as Billie Dove, Bette Davis, Ava Gardner, Olivia de Havilland, Katharine Hepburn, and Gene Tierney. But only one truly captures his heart. His relationship with Katharine Hepburn was well depicted in the film, which was adeptly portrayed by Cate Blanchett.

As an iconic industrialist and an aircraft enthusiast, Howard purchases the Transcontinental and Western Air, later known as the Trans World Airlines (TWA). He tests flies the H-1 Racer and sets a speed of 352mph, travels around the world in 91 hours also surpassing the previous record by nearly 4 days, and was also in the disastrous crash of the XF-11, sustaining numerous injuries such as a crushed collarbone and chest, 24 fractured ribs, one inflated lung, shifting the heart to the right side of the chest cavity, and several 3rd degree burns after his plane plummeted in several houses in Beverly Hills. Hughes was extremely lucky to survive after that near-fatal accident.

However, nothing could derail his vision. Howard Hughes, the most influential man in aviation history, is greatly known for building the H-1 Hercules, also known as the "Spruce Goose," is the largest, heaviest plane with the longest wingspan ever assembled in the world. This magnificent aircraft is currently in the Evergreen Aviation Museum in Oregon. However, this record was later exceeded by the Antonov 225 because, although the H-1 Hercules is still taller and wider, it is short and only covered a distance of 1 mile with Howard as the pilot while the An-225 has been flown farther distances and at a higher altitude.

After seeing such an outstanding film, Aviator definitely earned its 5 Oscars for Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume Design, Editing, and Supporting Actress. Leonardo did a superb job and is perfectly casted for the role. Martin Scorsese, as always, is a brilliant director and the cinematography is sensational.

Shutter Island (2010)

This is a dark, mysterious thriller in which Teddy Daniels, perfectly portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio, along with his partner Chuck Aule, characterized by Mark Ruffalo, investigates the puzzling disappearance of Rachel Solando from the Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane, also known as Shutter Island. Both the novel by Dennis Lehane and the film adaptation by Martin Scorsese are equally superb. Scorsese is a master at keeping the audience glued to their seats, absorbed into the engrossing plot and chilled by the various frightening scenes hurtling at them. Despite its somewhat disturbing theme, Shutter Island has the rewatchability factor. Ironically, the movie’s title is an anagram for "Denials Truths."


HD Trailer

TriggerPoint (2010)

Sam becomes a victim of his own delusional game and is trapped within the cycle of his mind.

TriggerPoint is my second project for Advanced Video Production and is a combination of film noir and post-modernism. I was inspired to work on this project after watching Memento and Pi.

 Overall, it was a blast filming it.

WatchTriggerPoint
Official Site
Now on IMDb

Dreamscape (2010)

Elena is trapped in her endless nightmare where escape seems futile.

Dreamscape is my first project for Advanced Video Production and is a short based on the theme of escape (moodscape). The narration was co-written with Ron Williamson. Time was a factor, as we tried to film all the forest scenes at magic hour on the first day.

Watch Dreamscape
Dreamscape official Site

Now on iMDB

A Beautiful Mind (2001)

A Beautiful Mind is a memorable biographical film that has won 4 well-deserved Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Writer.

John Nash, portrayed convincingly by Russell Crowe, is an intellectual math prodigy who could solve the most mind-numbing problems that would bewilder even the greatest mathematicians and is a promising student at Princeton University. For his thesis paper, John is attempting to develop a truly original idea, resulting in a brilliant theory on mathematical economics.

Near the beginning, he admits that he is “better at numbers than people.” However, his unexpected roommate, Charles, is ultimately his best friend. Though he has several other influential acquaintances.

5 years later, he becomes a professor at MIT where John writes a complex problem on the board during calculus and challenges his students to solve it, stating that it would take the average student their whole lives to solve it and some would take a few months. However, no one was able to solve the complex problem, not even one of his most intellectual students, Alicia Larde, portrayed by Jennifer Connelly, whom he married later on.

One day, John meets William Parcher, a Department of Defense Agent who is represented by Ed Harris, and is asked to the Pentagon to decipher an intricate encryption. He remarkably solves it mentally, astounding the other code-breakers, which led him to being pursued by a black car and ever since then John became paranoid and behaves erratically. Alicia is under tremendous stress after realizing her husband is suffering from a mental disorder called schizophrenia. An interlude of hallucinations and delusional state of mind was enough to subject their marriage on a brink.

Eventually, John discovers that William Parcher and his best friend Charles never existed and they are all fragments of his distorted mind. Now, it is nearly impossible to determine who is real and who is a product of his delusional mind.

This film does an excellent job in depicting the brilliant and delusional life of John Nash, who is known for numerous significant discoveries such as the Nash Equilibrium and the game theory, earning him a Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science in 1996. In addition, it is truly inspirational and heartwarming watching John’s triumph over his lifelong battle against himself. “Nash. Who's winning - you, or you?”


Check out this equation just for fun!

Ck Embedding Theorem
If M= m-dimensional Riemannian manifold, then there is a number, n (n=m2 + 5m + 3)
Every point p of M, the derivative (dfp) is a linear map from the tangent space (TpM)
(u,v) = dfp(u) X dfp(v)
Partial Differential Equation (PDE)

A Gum's Life (2009) - Festivals

A Gum's Life (2009)

"A Gum's Life" has been screened in several Film Festivals:

2011 15th Annual North American All Youth Film and Education Day
2011 Soul 4 Reel Film Festival

2011 Los Angeles Student Media Festival
2010 Won The Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Prize Best Child Produced Film 27th Annual Chicago International Children's Film Festival
2010 Winner at International Student Media Festival in Anaheim
2010 Los Angeles Film Festival
2010 Reel Teens Film Festival in New York
2010 Sidewalk Moving Pictures Film Festival in Alabama
2010 Santa Cruz Film Festival California
2010 Cine Youth Film Festival in Chicago
2010 Made by Kids: ICA International Children's Film Festival Boston
2010 Newport Beach Film Festival California
2010 10th Annual deadCENTER Film Festival in Oklahoma
2010 Won the Audience Award at Screen Film Festival California
2010 NFFTY 2010 in Seattle
2010 ViewFinders International Film Festival for Youth in Canada
2009 Marlborough Film Festival California

"A Gum's Life" incorporates claymation, which is the process of altering the position of the clay characters after each frame.

Claymation is complex but as soon as we got the hang of it, we were cruising on our way to post. It is advantageous that nearly half of the film is animation and the other half takes place in the classroom.

In my opinion, the most time consuming part in filming this movie, is animating the characters' eyes. Between each frame, we had to change the position of the gums' pupils as well as carefully placing a thin piece of pink clay to make it seem as if they are blinking. The blue pupils were just a little bigger than the period at the end of this sentence. It took steady hands to stick each pupil on each of the gums' eyes. By the end of production, there were numerous blue pupils lying on the bottom of the pack of gum that were accidentally dropped during animation.

Watch it Now! or YouTube!

Avatar (2009)

Avatar made a worldwide gross of $1,025,378,961 in 17 days! James Cameron might beat his previous record of $1,835,300,000 worldwide for Titanic! Aren't I psychic? James Cameron has made a great comeback and Avatar is a brilliant mixture of action, adventure, romance, drama, and fantasy.

The plot revolves around a paraplegic marine, Jake Sully, who is involved in an extraordinary mission taking place in Pandora, which is the distant moon with toxic air that is light years away. Within Pandora, the Omaticaya tribe of Na'vi, 10 feet tall blue human-like creatures, happens to be inhabited just above a vast amount of rich minerals known as Unobtanium that are worth millions since it could possibly save earth from the energy crisis. The humans plan to force the Na'vi to leave their land so they could mine for the precious Unobtanium. A human could be mentally linked to an avatar as long as they are genetically similar. Jake’s twin brother, Tom, was part of the Pandora program and also had his own genetically engineered avatar. However, after he died, Jake agreed to take his place in the mission. While exploring Pandora and encountering numerous strange creatures with sharp fangs, piercing talons, and thundering roars, he meets Neytiri, who is a Na'vi and part of the Omaticaya tribe. Neytiri becomes Jake's mentor, teaching him many things ranging from archery, learning the Na'vi language, flying large bird-like Banshees, riding Direhorses, and many more. As the inevitable mission of the humans transpires to mine for the Unobtanium beneath the home-tree of the Na'vi tribe, the Avatar intervenes after witnessing such inhuman acts led by Colonel Quaritch. However, by defending the Na'vi, Jake has not only betrayed his own people, now becoming their enemy, but also lost the trust of Neytiri and her tribe. Now, the alienated Avatar has reached the defining moment to execute his own plan...

So far, Avatar is the most expensive film in history, costing approximately $230,000,000. Being the most anticipated film of 2009, Avatar made $232 million just over the weekend! I wouldn't be surprised if the film makes a billion dollars! James Cameron actually intended to film Avatar just after Titanic in 1997, however, he delayed it in order to let the technology catch up first, which nearly left a 10 year gap between the two films. Apparently, the long wait was worthwhile with superb results. The visual effects is stunningly realistic and takes the audience’s breath away as their eyes are glued on screen and they are transported into the mysterious world of Pandora. Filming Avatar requires meticulous work and every detail counts. The environment of Pandora includes phantasmagorical plants, colossal floating mountains, breath-taking scenes, and unique creatures.

Let’s not forget that Avatar is not just an animation film, where the characters are put into motion through the computer while the actors do voice-overs. This film is %60 CGI and %40 live action. During production, the actors would wear special suits so the camera could capture the character’s motion and they would have small green dots drawn all over their faces so that their facial expressions are visible. In addition, actors and actresses would have to go through months of training in order to learn how to fight. James Cameron also sent the crew out to the jungles in Hawaii in order to let the actors and actresses get the feel of the forest. Paul Frommer, a linguist, actually invented the Na’vi language, creating 1000 words. The main characters were taught the correct pronunciation and how to speak fluently. Avatar is the evolution of filmmaking and is without doubt the best movie I have ever seen! No one could possibly forget about the exceptional visual effects. Describing the film as a hybrid of live action and CGI, James Cameron said, “Ideally at the end of the day the audience has no idea which they’re looking at.” HD Trailer

La Vie En Rose (2007)

La Vie En Rose, meaning “Life in Pink," is an inspirational film portraying the life of the prodigal Edith Piaf, characterized by Marion Cotillard. Edith Piaf is known as a legendary French singer who captures the hearts of millions with her golden voice and dazzles them with her exceptional classic songs like the famous La Vie En Rose, which is her signature song.

Her life was no fairy tale filled with glamour and happy endings but rather an array of adversities starting in her early childhood. Daughter of an alcoholic mother and father who is fighting for his country in the World War 1, Edith spends most of her melancholy childhood with her grandmother until the end of the war. Her musical talent begins to develop and serves as her only means of survival by singing on the street.

It was several years later when Edith is discovered by a nightclub owner and introduced to a talented songwriter named, Raymond Asso, who gives her a glimpse of what tomorrow will be if she learns to be more expressive with her songs and learns to overcome her stage fright. A life after that is a beginning of a new hope.

One night while performing in New York, she meets Marcel, who is a French boxer, and becomes emotionally involved. It was like a whirlwind relationship that develops and ends so fast leaving Edith mourning over her great loss after Marcel’s plane crashed.

As if her life lacks more excitement, she suffers from a disabilitating arthritis causing her too much pain. Despite of all the misfortunes that miserably plunged into her path since childhood, she has learned to be resilient, and has survived by holding close to her true passion, her music. Each time she performs, she delivers a performance of a lifetime that was well depicted in the beginning of the movie where she fainted right at the stage.

After watching this movie, I was mesmerized by the dynamic performance of Marion Cotillard, who was perfectly casted for the role. I knew then that Cate Blanchett has a serious competition for the Oscar as best actress. Performing the life of Edith Piaf was overwhelmingly challenging.

Queen Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)

Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) is a compelling historical film, starring Cate Blanchett as the legendary Queen Elizabeth I of England, and won a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Costume. It is a controversial film because of its melodramatic influence over a more realistic epic film of a great ruler which was the height of the reigning feminist in history, the Elizabethan era. She might have been a female ruler donned in an ornate gown yet had the heart and mind of a powerful man.

The film takes place in the late 1,500’s while England is under the rule of Queen Elizabeth I. The historical plot revolves between the fierce rivalry of two powerful countries, England and Spain. King Philip II of Spain wants to rule England and builds Armada to invade it and become its ruler. Later, he orchestrates a plot with Jesuit group to assassinate Elizabeth, known as the “Babington Plot,” implicating Mary Stuart as the Queen of Scots, for conspiring the act which leads to her arrest and later an execution for high treason.

Elizabeth is known to remain a Virgin Queen but as the Queen of England she perceives herself as married to her kingdom. However, there are dramatic twists in this epic film showing the attraction between Elizabeth and Sir Walter Raleigh, an explorer returning from the New World played by Clive Owen. But her love for Raleigh ends when she discovers that he is discretely married to her favorite lady-in-waiting, Bess. Their intimacy provokes opposition and, outraged, Elizabeth banishes Bess from court and imprisons Raleigh in the Tower of London. She later forgives them and releases Raleigh to join the attack on the Spanish Armada ships, resulting victorious. Defeating the Spanish Armada in 1588 is considered to be one of the greatest triumphs in the annals of England.

The acting is absolutely superfluous and Cate Blanchett should have won that Academy Award for Best Actress. Also, the spectacular cinematography and Elizabeth’s ornate costume and white painted face, which is seemingly imbued throughout her skin representing an iconographic image of a powerful queen, successfully transport the audience into the scenes.

A controversy arose due to inaccurate historical facts that were altered due to the artistic vision of director, Shekhar Kapur. Cate Blanchett said, “It’s terrifying that we are growing up with this very illiterate bunch of children, who are somehow being taught that film is fact, when in fact it’s invention. Hopefully though an historical film will inspire people to go and read about the history. But in the end it is a work of history and selection.”

2012

-->2012, the best Doomsday film so far, is directed by Roland Emmerich, creator of several other disaster movies such as Independence Day, Godzilla, and Day After Tomorrow. Roland said that he’d make this the Mother of all disaster movies!
THE END IS NEAR… Doomsday, anticipated to take place on December 21st, 2009 by the Mayan civilization thousands of years ago, is just around the corner and the government is desperate for a brilliant solution to ensure the continuity of the human race. A sequence of natural disasters is prognosticated by several scientists such as immense earthquakes, devastating volcanic eruptions, and colossal tsunamis all around the world. However, this terrible fate is inevitable.

Jackson Curtis, a divorced limo driver, begins to suspect some terrible, unknown tragedy while taking his kids on a short camping vacation at the Yellowstone National Park. It all started when he was approached by the strange Charlie, who warns him of “the end,” and then all chaos breaks loose, ranging from speeding down a crumbling city to plummeting through the smoky ruins! Hurtling through every adversity, Jackson and his family continue on their frightening journey for survival.

This action-packed film never had a dull moment, constantly filled with catastrophic scenes of chaos from beginning to end! 2012 has superb, breathtaking CGI effects! You owe it to yourself to see this in a large screen. John Cusack did a great job portraying Jackson Curtis. It was totally hilarious whenever he’s late and he says, “I’m hurtling towards you as we speak!” when he is not even in the car yet! The script is definitely well-written and throws every disaster humanly possible at you, establishing an intensifying atmosphere that escalates every minute! The music and sound effects absolutely added to the intensity of the scenes, amplifying the suspense to the max! Unfortunately, this is Roland Emmerich’s last disaster movie. But I guess he has no other choice because he’s done it all!


Trailer

The Chase (2009)

Trailer



There is no escape...

After Roni witnesses two strangers exchanging a briefcase in the park, she couldn't resist the temptation of finding out what’s the story behind this suspicious act and got her friend, Danielle, involved, which led them into a wild chase.

The Chase (2009) is the first film that I have written, directed, and produced and is around 30 minutes long. While writing the script, I decided that I wanted an action-packed short-film with intense scenes that would keep the audience grasping the edges of their seats.

Making my first film was exhilarating and at the same time frightening. During pre-production, I encountered many roadblocks, and casting is definitely one of them. I ended up portraying the role of Roni. Overall, I had to rewrite the script around seven times due to casting issues and several changes. As a result of the limited schedule, we had to film rain or shine and day for night.

Is filming fun? Well, we had one scene that took place on a steep hill. As the camera started rolling, the sky turned dark grey and it started drizzling, but it also doubled the fun. And to answer the question, rolling down a hill is not fun. Well who would call plummeting down a bumpy, cold, damp hill with hidden rocks and going home with bruises all over your body fun? Not to mention the numerous retakes required.

Several challenges involved in filming this movie were setting up the lighting and shooting day for night. Experimenting with the lights was a pain. We would spend hours comparing the locations and brightness of the light. Adding to the difficulty, we had to make sure that the night scenes shot during the day looked realistic and consistent with previous clips. This is one reason why editing lasted for eternity. Well, "no pain, no gain." Without doubt, that was the most ambitious thing I have ever done. Now I could say that filming a movie is indeed fun.

Dances with Wolves (1990)

Dances with Wolves, starring Kevin Costner, won 7 Academy Awards in 1990, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Music, Best Sound, and Best Writing. It was also directed and produced by Kevin Costner himself.

This 1990 epic film depicts the story of Union Army Officer First Lieutenant John Dunbar, who embarks on a journey to the American Frontier to find a military post. Upon arriving at the post, Dunbar has anticipated more soldiers to join him. After several weeks of solitude, Dunbar finds it peculiar that no other soldiers has joined him and documents it in his journal. Unfortunately, Dunbar's assignment to the post remained unknown due to the death of the major, who was in charge of his mission. Dunbar later encounters the Sioux tribe and gains their respect and has been welcomed into their tribe as a member known as Dances with Wolves.

As a result of this movie, Kevin Costner was considered an honorary member of the Sioux tribe. In addition, the Library of Congress has chosen Dances with Wolves for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in the year 2007. This movie is highly acclaimed for its humanistic portrayal of American Indians. The casts’ performances are exceptional thanks to Costner’s directions and the cinematography is utterly prodigious. Another outstanding factor in this engrossing film is the soundtrack, earning John Barry an Academy Award for Best Music. Despite its duration of about 3 hrs, Dances with Wolves keeps the audience engaged throughout the film. This movie grossed $184 million without ever having to reach #1 on the box-office charts and is the highest grossed western movie of all time.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

In my opinion, Catch Me If You Can, starring Leonardo DiCarprio and Tom Hanks, has one of the most exceptional plots. The script is based on a true story about Frank Abagnale, a young con artist on the run. Frank, whose character is acted out by Leonardo, runs away after his parents separated and attempts to retrieve all the money that was lost.

However, he chooses an illegal path. He produces fraudulent checks, impersonates a pilot, doctor, and attorney, and travels around the world trying to evade a determined FBI agent named Carl, who is portrayed by Tom. Despite his effort to avoid the FBI, Carl finally catches him in France and he is being extradited and given a long prison sentence.

One day, Carl visits him in jail asking his help to identify an unsolved case of fraudulent checks and is impressed by his expertise, which prompted him to offer a job to work for FBI. Frank accepts it since it was his only way out though he misses the thrill of his old life.

According to the scrolling text at the end of the film, Frank gets married and has three children and he and Carl become close friends even to this day. Believe it or not, Frank actually invented the most unforgeable checks being used until today. He also caught many of the most elusive money forgers.

Steven Spielberg, as usual, did a phenomenal job in directing. Leonardo delivers an astounding performance as the deceitful and charming young con artist. Hopefully, he will win an Oscar soon. I believe he is one of the best actors in Hollywood who hasn't won an Oscar yet. Tom Hanks also did an equally spectacular performance as the FBI agent who finally outsmarted the intelligent fraudster. The movie is filled with endless humor and keeps you hooked to the story the whole two hours. It is unbelievable how clever Frank Abagnale is, being 19 years old when he stole millions of dollars.

Somewhere in Time (1980)

Somewhere in Time is a classic romantic movie, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.

During a celebration of his first play's success, Richard Collier meets an elderly woman who hands him an old watch and whispers, "Come back to me." Richard is bewildered by her statement, until several years later when he becomes instantly intrigued by the riveting beauty of a young woman in a portrait at a grand hotel. The image of the woman lingers in his mind and he soon realizes that she is the same old woman who gave him the timeworn watch. After many years, he pieces the puzzle together, leading him to his college professor, the author of Time Traveling. The next day, he prepares for an exciting journey through space and time to reach the mysterious Elise McKenna.

Every once in a while, a powerful love story captures the hearts of many. The script is well-written and compelling. Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour have great chemistry, creating a very heart-warming story that will never be forgotten. In addition, the setting, soundtrack (Somewhere in Time Rhapsody has always been one of my favorite songs), and cinematography have a major role in creating such a romantic atmosphere, perfect for the film.

The Illusionist (2006)

The Illusionist has a plot that is invigoratingly clever, downright ingenious, and endlessly twisted. Eisenheim, a professional illusionist, was searching for a volunteer among the swarming crowd in the massive theater to help him perform his magic. He was joined at the middle of the stage by Sophie, the fiancee of Crown Prince Leopold. It is revealed that Eisenheim and Sophie had a past relationship; this time, Eisenheim is determined to pursue her no matter what the consequences are.

I have seen this movie 5 times and I have never gotten tired of it. The masterful tricks that fascinate me most are the orange tree and the ghost trick. The script is brilliant and Edward Norton did a marvelous job. I love how the lighting equipment used in this film causes everything to be illuminated and gives it a film look that shows details and hues of old and romantic feeling to match the period where the story takes place. The montage at the end is intellectual and gives you a chance to piece it all together and solve the mystery.

Trailer

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Trailer

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is definitely my favorite western movie. There is no doubt about it. Although the only thing western about it is that it takes place in the West. Other than western, this movie is a mix of romance, comedy, action, and drama.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are the most well known bank-robbers around the area. They are highly wanted for numerous robberies resulting in the shutting down of many banks. For many years, these two partners have been elusive until one day, when a posse persistently pursues them. After hours of trying to evade the posse, they reach a dead end at the canyon. However, they finally lose track of the group when they decide to jump off the cliff and into the river below even though Sundance could not swim. As soon as they reach Etta’s house, they realize that the posse will not give up until Butch and Sundance are dead. Desperate to escape, they decide to leave the country, taking Etta along.

What really made this movie stand out is the well-written script. The plot may be common and simple but the actors and the way the story was delivered made the movie unique and entertaining. There weren’t any slow or boring scenes that I could recall and the movie had many humorous and romantic scenes to create a well-rounded story.

Several people thought the choice of music was horrendous. I thought it was perfect for the story because the story takes place a long time ago and if they used modern music it would be wrong. I thought Burt Bacharach did a fantastic job.

Here are several of my favorite parts:

It was hilarious when they were trying to rob a bank in Bolivia but they didn’t know how to speak Spanish. When Sundance said that he didn’t know the language in Bolivia, Butch said not to worry because he knew how to speak Spanish. However, Sundance found out that Butch was lying. In this scene, Butch is the one trying to give orders in Spanish during the robbery but he couldn’t remember his lines. So, he took out a paper that listed all the common phrases used during a bank robbery. What is so funny is that Sundance is the one who actually remembers the common phrases and he is the one who didn’t know how to speak Spanish.

Butch Cassidy: Manos a... Manos, um... Manos arriba!
Sundance Kid: They got 'em up! Skip on down.
Butch Cassidy: Arriba!
Sundance Kid: Skip on down!
Butch Cassidy: Todos ustedes "arrismense" a la pared.
Sundance Kid: They're against the wall already!
Butch Cassidy: Donde... Ah, you're so damn smart, you read it!

Another funny part is near the beginning when they were robbing a train. They were trying to steal money inside a safe but the owner of the train refused to give them the combination. They decided to use dynamite to open the safe.
As Butch is walking away from the train after setting up the dynamite, he says, “Well that ought to do it.”

Seconds later, the whole train is blown up into smithereens.
As they stare at the remainders of the train and the dollar bills flying in the sky, Sundance Kid says, “Think ya used enough dynamite there, Butch?”

This part is when Butch and Sundance were trying to escape from the posse and were trying to figure out who their pursuers were.

Sundance Kid: You remember the time you and me and Etta went to Denver one summer for a vacation?
Butch Cassidy: I'm glad you brought that up, Kid. That's an important topic, considering our situation.
Sundance Kid: The night we went gambling, you remember?
Butch Cassidy: We had dinner at the hotel. Etta had roast beef and I had chicken, and if I can remember what you had, I'll die a happy man.

Here is another section somewhere in the beginning.

Sundance Kid: Well, I think I'll get saddled up and go looking for a woman.
Butch Cassidy: Good hunting.
Sundance Kid: Shouldn't take more than a couple of days. I'm not picky. As long as she's smart, pretty, and sweet, and gentle, and tender, and refined, and lovely, and carefree..

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

I have to say that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) is one of the greatest, unique drama movies that I have seen.

It was an unforgettable night to Queenie and her husband when they find an infant on their porch. However, what stunned them most was the inexplicable phenomenon of an octogenarian baby. Despite the fact, Queenie decides to take care of the baby and named him Benjamin Button.

Benjamin was told that he would not live long but he proved them wrong. Although, at the age of 17, he discovered something unusual. His life cycle is extraordinarily reversed. One day, he meets a young girl named Daisy and they become childhood friends. Throughout the years, Benjamin becomes younger and younger while Daisy as well as the rest of the people around him grow older.

Although this is a very long movie that runs for two and a half hours, my eyes never left the screen. The script is brilliantly written and the transitions are smooth. I believe that Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett are perfectly casted. What is most remarkable in this movie is the visual effects. It is amazing how convincingly young Brad Pitt appeared in the movie. The ending of the movie was very touching how Daisy's and Benjamin's relationship progressed. Although the story was unrealistic, it shows the creativity of the writer and is definitely original.

Terminator Salvation (2009)

Terminator Salvation has got to be one of the best movies I have seen this year (Depending on how good Transformers 2 will be).

At the beginning of the movie, a convict, Marcus Wright, is being executed and he agrees to donate his body for medical research. Around 17 years later, Marcus escapes from a Skynet base and heads towards Los Angeles by foot and has no recollection of his criminal past. He has no clue about Judgement day or even what year it is.

Meanwhile, John Conner is leading the Resistance against Skynet in order to save humanity. While leading an attack on a Skynet base, he reveals a file regarding the T-800 Terminator, which includes living tissue. John appears to be the only survivor of a nuclear explosion at the base and he returns to Resistance Headquarters.

Once Marcus reaches LA, he is saved from a T-600 Terminator by Kyle Reese, who has no idea that John Conner is his future son. Once they hear a radio broadcast by John Conner, they begin their search for the Resistance.

However, along the way, they encounter many deadly robots and Kyle and several other people are captured by a large Skynet robot. Fortunately, Marcus escapes and attempts to get the Resistance to assist him save Kyle and the other prisoners. Luckily, he comes across a skilled pilot, Blair Williams, and together they embark on their trip to the Resistance Headquarters.

Nearing the base, Marcus is wounded by magnetic land mines. As he is being rescued, Blair and other Resistance fighters discover that Marcus is a cyborg with human organs, flesh, and blood. John orders that he be terminated but Marcus tries to persuade them that he is human and that he should be released in order to save Kyle.
However, John was convinced that this was part of his scheme and that as soon as he releases him, he will attempt to destroy the Resistance. Defying his orders, Blair sets Marcus free but during their escape, she is wounded and he reluctantly leaves her behind. While John is searching for Marcus, who is being surrounded and attacked by the Resistance, his helicopter is being bombarded by hydrobots and it crashed and landed in the lake. Keeping his words, Marcus saves John's life and together they infiltrate the Skynet headquarters.

What I love about this movie is the action and special effects! It is well-paced and the action is continuous. The casting was perfect and Christian Bale and Sam Worthington did an exceptional job at portraying their character. Christian Bale never disappoints me. I also think that Anton Yelchin was perfect for Kyle Reese. Although, the fight at the end seemed a bit short. Why did they let the T-800 Terminator die so quickly? Also, why can't they just let Marcus live? I like to see him in the next movie! I know that he is supposed to be destroyed because he is a robot but they could have left out the heart transplant!

Overall, the whole movie is outstanding. I love the movie! Just as I walked out of the theater, I already wanted to see it again.

Quantum of Solace (2008)

The James Bond movies are known to be one of the most popular franchises in Hollywood history. All the way from Sean Connery in Dr. No (1962) to Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace (2008) with another movie coming up in 2011. I believe that among all of these movies, Quantum of Solace is the most action-packed.

This film is a sequel of the previous film, Casino Royale. There is an intense car chase that takes place in Italy where James Bond is being pursued by other cars while Mr. White is trapped in his trunk. After he arrives at his destination, Mr. White is being interrogated by M about his secret organization. However, M’s bodyguard, Mitchell, reveals himself as a traitor and gives Mr. White a chance to escape by shooting at James and M. However, this did not stop James from accomplishing his mission to kill him.

While probing Mitchell’s apartment, he learns about the ecological organization called Greene Planet and meets Camille. A general known as Medrano, who is working with Greene, murdered the family of Camille years ago when she was still young. Now she intends to avenge her family. In addition, the two team up to destroy the Greene organization with the help of Mathis and Felix Leiter.

The plot was vague and not well executed. For some people, it is hard to figure out the motives in this movie but action-lovers tend to overlook the imperfections of the plot. I believe that Daniel Craig did a great job as James Bond. Although others may like Roger Moore, Sean Connery, or Pierce Brosnan better because they always appeared to be calm, cool, and collected even in times of peril while Daniel Craig gives James Bond a new identity. He is rugged, muscular, and his action scenes are more intense and physical. In addition, Camille is perfect for the role.

Marc Forster's directing was superb although at times it could be dizzying since the camera is constantly shaking during certain action scenes. Apparently, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace have less gadgets compared to previous James Bond movies but it has much more action. There is only one thing that I absolutely disliked in this movie. During the opera, the loud singing was very distracting while the audience was trying to listen to what was going on or watch the action sequences. Although opera lovers may find it okay. All together, it was a very satisfying movie and many were captivated by the pulse-quickening action.

HD Trailer

WALLE (2008)

WALLE, released to theaters on June 27, 2008, is about a lonely robot named WALLE, who lives in a futuristic Earth, which has accumulated a large amount of garbage towering everywhere. WALLE is designed to compact garbage in order to clean up the environment. All humans were to board the Axiom ship until these robots were done gathering all the waste but this process seems to be making no progress at all and the robots were shut down.

However, WALLE is the only robot that is still working and he lives in a garage, where he collects interesting artifacts, with his only friend, a cockroach. Unlike other robots, he begins to develop emotions and often times, he feels lonely. His only sort of entertainment is watching a romantic movie known as Hello Dolly and wishes he had a love of his own.

One day, WALLE encounters a high-tech robot known as EVE, who has been dropped of to Earth by an enormous ship and sent to search for signs of vegetation. Amazingly, he is instantly captivated by her beauty and intends to befriend her. However, he fails to capture her interest no matter how he persistently attempts to impress her with his endless collection of artifacts.

But his luck is about to change when he leads her to his garage where he shows her many of his artifacts nevertheless, it's the plant, which he found a while ago, that snags EVE'S eyes and she instantly communicates with her mother ship. Ironically, EVE goes into hibernation mode after her mission accomplished leaving WALLE in distraught. Several days later, the mother ship returns for EVE and WALLE tries to get her back by hitching a ride on the ship.

This movie is enjoyable for all ages and is a delightful mixture of action, romance, and comedy. It also has a very interesting plot and shows how Earth would look like if we continue to fill it with waste. Some scenes were very touching and keep your eyes glued to the movie. The story flows well and it always keeps you entertained. I believe that this movie is one of the best animation films.

King Kong (2005)

Ann Darrow, portrayed by Naomi Watts, is an unemployed actress who is greatly in need of a job. However, she runs into Carl Denham, who is a filmmaker looking for an actress to replace the one who has dropped out for his movie, and is convinced to star in the film. Carl pays a captain to sail to a mysterious island, which, according to his map, is known as Skull Island. Along the way, Ann meets Jack Driscoll, who is a screenplay writer, and they fall in love with each other throughout the movie.

As they finally reach their destination, crashing into the island’s shore, they encounter natives in an old civilization and are being attacked. After escaping them and returning to their ship, Ann has been secretly taken away and offered to King Kong as a sacrifice.

The crew enters the dangerous jungles of Skull Island in order to rescue Ann. However, they stumble across large, deadly dinosaurs and insects. As they attempt to evade them, many of the crew has been killed. Meanwhile, Ann is being carried away by the massive King Kong.

However, the over-grown ape and Ann begin to enjoy each other’s company and King Kong does anything to protect her. As the sky begins to darken, Ann and King Kong are watching the breath-taking sunset on a towering mountain. Even when it seems as if all hope has been lost, Jack refuses to leave Ann behind and decides to search for her by himself while the rest of the crew returns to the ship and wait.

I believe that this is the best version of King Kong so far. I love this movie even though it was three hours long. Some may find that it is way too long. It was unbelievable how realistic King Kong and all the other creatures appeared and the visuals and sceneries were outstanding. Peter Jackson really has the vision and skills to create such an extraordinary masterpiece. All the acting was superb and the action was non-stop. In addition, Peter Jackson knows how to capture the intensity and suspense in the scene by playing the suspenseful music while the actors act. This movie also had excellent soundtracks. Some may believe that adding the dinosaurs to the movie was unrealistic and not a great idea but I thought that it made the movie even more exciting. It added suspense and was the perfect opponent who gave King Kong a chance to really prove how strong and powerful he was. It also proved his feelings for Ann and how he would risk everything to save her. The ending, as always, is very moving because there was nothing Ann could do to save King Kong. Overall, I believe that King Kong was a very pulse-quickening and uncomparable film.

Star Trek (2009)

 Star Trek is known as one of the most popular franchises. This movie shows how James T. Kirk became captain of the Enterprise. James Kirk was given birth to the day that George Kirk was granted command of the ship when the captain was requested to board Narada, which came out of a black hole and heavily damaged the USS Kelvin. George saves many lives as he stays behind during the evacuation and protects the shuttles from oncoming missiles. Just before the USS Kelvin collides with Narada, George’s wife gives birth to James.

James is now grown up and runs into Captain Pike, who tries to persuade James to enter Starfleet and possibly become captain of the Enterprise in around 8 years of studying. However, James laughs at the idea of joining Starfleet. Pike then states that James’s father saved 800 lives in 12 minutes of command and challenges him to do better. James considers this, and decides to join Starfleet the next day.

Now being a student at Starfleet for about 3 years, James attempts to pass the Kobayashi Maru a third time, which has never been done before, and this time he finally passes. However, he is being accused of cheating by alternating the computer in order to win. James meets his accuser, Spock, a Vulcan student who is half human. During the official inquiry, a rescue mission interrupted the hearing. Although Kirk has been grounded and could not join the mission, McCoy helps get him into the Enterprise on medical grounds by injecting him with a vaccine.

It turns out that the lightning storm that the Enterprise is approaching is the same lightning storm that the USS Kelvin encountered before the Narada emerged from the black hole. He informs Captain Pike and Spock confirms that he is correct. As the Narada approaches them and attacks, lowering the Enterprise’s shield percentage, Nero orders Captain Pike to come aboard. Spock is given command of the ship and Kirk is now first officer.
Spock beams down to Vulcan to save the council, including his parents, just before Vulcan implodes but in the process of beaming them back to the ship, Spock lost his mother. Millions of Vulcans died and very few of them survived. Now that Nero’s objective is complete, he heads for Earth with the help of Captain Pike. Now the Enterprise must do their best to save Earth and Captain Pike.

I just recently saw Star Trek in the IMAX theater and I was amazed by the spectacular visuals and sound effects. The actors did a superb job at portraying the characters. The script was well written and the action was continuous. This movie captured the audiences’ attention with a mixture of humor, action, suspense, and mystery and is a must see.

For people who are considering watching the original Star Trek movies, if you are looking for nonstop action, don’t watch it. However, Star Trek fans find these movies interesting for their plot and story. The plots of the original Star Trek movies are very fascinating and although the movie is older, its visuals are also breathtaking.