Wickedfacts

Movie Review: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Amidst the tension-filled era of the Cold War, Jim Prideaux (Mark Strong) is sent to Budapest to resolve a delicate issue. He is to meet with a Hungarian general who possesses the name of a mole the Russians have planted in the secret British Intelligence Service (code name “The Circus” – the SIS became commonly referred to as Military Intelligence 6, or MI6, during WWII), believed to be in a top position for years. The operation ends in disaster, with Prideaux shot and chief agents Control (John Hurt) and George Smiley (Gary Oldman) forced into retirement over the blunder.

A year later in 1973, Control dies. Permanent Undersecretary Oliver Lacon (Simon McBurney), a civil servant in charge of intelligence, recruits dismissed Deputy Chief Smiley to continue the hunt for the traitor. His initial suspicions are with Director of Operations Percy Alleline (Toby Jones) and Circus Officer Toby Esterhase (David Dencik), who gain political favor with the U.S. through Operation Witchcraft, which trades Soviet intelligence for American materials. As Smiley begins to investigate, aided by young prot?�g?� and head of the Scalphunters (field agents) division Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch), he comes across a bevy of cagey characters, including possible defector Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy), with clues about the double agent supplied by a female informant, Irina (Svetlana Khodchenkova), researcher Connie Sachs, who accused high-ranking officials of conspiring with Polyakov, a suspected Soviet agent, and finally a duty clerk with information exposing the lies of Bill Haydon (Colin Firth), a well-liked, upper-circle officer of the Circus.

“Trust no one,” states Control. There is a palpable paranoia presiding over everyone. Shifty eyes try to feel out the surroundings, each agent exhibits cautiousness, and all parties appear overly concerned with what might turn up in investigations. This is compounded as the members of the Circus are scrutinized more than the “real” enemies from outside England. Fakeness permeates them all as they try to cover their tracks and conceal intel, or leak it for protection or power. The search for weaknesses, realizing the lack of moral worth and identifying unscrupulousness on every side of intelligence gathering, however, is a slow, complicated, confusing process (narrated by melancholy trumpets and woeful clarinets). Things happen, but their significance is not immediately revealed. Although most pieces are eventually explained, watching it all unfold is baffling – this film certainly does not demonstrate a direct method of coming to a conclusion. Those unfamiliar with the novel by John le Carre will likely be lost throughout much of the covert dealings.

The cast is astounding, amassing a record assortment of popular British actors. But the large cast brings a lot of roles that makes sorting out personnel and code names even more bedeviling. On top of that is a complex mishmash of spy speak, governmental terms, monikers that are never associated with a face, and spoken foreign languages that require subtitles. There are also constant flashbacks – and not the lengthy, explanatory kind, but the short, choppy ones that reveal brief clues, end abruptly and begin again with little warning. Since the time frame is within a year, there isn’t even aging, location changes or differences in cinematographic colors to aid the viewer in deciphering the switches. Blink and it might be missed. Reaching the final climactic disclosure is tricky and cryptic at best, but the resolution has a certain satisfactory note to it, primarily thanks to a cheery song called “La Mer” that plays in the background as each remaining character drifts back to an undeniably copacetic place of contentment.

– The Massie Twins ()…

Mohan Lal’s Best Movies Ever

Mohan Lal is a super star in Malayalam film industry that is based out of Kerala in South India. He’s popular throughout India and abroad as a talented and highly versatile actor. His fans in Kerala treats him as an elder brother and calls him ‘Lalettan’. Here are some of his latest and upcoming movies that have got rave reviews from critics and media alike.

Shikkar – The Hunt

Released on September 9, 2010, this Mohanlal film went on to become one of the biggest blockbuster of Kerala film industry. The film that portrays Lal as a lorry driver has received positive reviews from all quarters. After few films that failed to make it big at the box office, Shikkar can be considered as his re-entry into the industry.

As the title goes, the film revolves around Balaraman, a lorry driver who decides to take revenge after being helpless for long. At any point, one wouldn’t know what would happen next – that’s the way in which the film has been made. The second half of the movies is packed with stunts ending in a superb climax. The film is still running in packed cinemas through out Kerala and is a must watch for any Keralite, let alone a Mohan Lal fan.

Casanova

In this mega budget Malayalam movie, Mohan Lal plays the role of a successful businessman nicknamed Casanova, who runs an international chain of flower boutiques called Casanovva’s Eternal Spring. He believes in the simple philosophy that love cures everyone. Beautiful women accompany him at all times and this sprouts envy in all men. Roma, Lakshmi Rai, Sanjana and Shriya Saran are among the lead female actors at their helm in Malayalam industry who are cast against Mohan Lal in the film. The film also has four villains who bring in the factor of suspense and twist.

When we say that Casanova is the most awaited Malayalam movie ever, it literally is true – fans have been waiting for the release of this big budget movie for over three years now. Casanova had slipped schedules may a time and some of the original cast is no more there in the movie. The release is planned around Christmas 2010 and may get delayed till early next year. This is the first time that such a film is produced in Malayalam and this would be our pick for the New Year.…

Movie Review: The Illusionist (2011) – Directed by Sylvain Chomet

The Illusionist perfectly combines the unique, detailed visual style of Oscar-nominated animator/writer/director Sylvain Chomet with the melancholy, simple and poignant storytelling approach of celebrated writer/director/actor Jacques Tati. Although traditionally animated, the film could easily have been a live action work, especially with the lead character so closely mimicking Tati’s own Monsieur Hulot (a single clip from Mon Oncle pays appropriate homage), and the use of a dramatic, tragic, romantic plot that never strays from reality. It’s occasionally sad, oftentimes humorous, and always touching.

An aging magician (voiced by Jean-Claude Donda) in 1960s Paris somberly realizes that his amusing craft is no longer an exciting art form for the crowds of youngsters that cheer for opening acts like Billy Boy and the Britoons, a stereotypical rock group with springy hair, colorful suits and giddy demeanors. When his venue tumbles from a classy music hall to a crowded park, he journeys to Scotland for work. He’s greeted by friendly people and finds small success at a little pub, where he also meets Alice (Eilidh Rankin), a young woman working as a maid and innkeeper.

The elderly man takes a liking to the girl, and treats her to a new pair of shoes. When he gathers together enough money to return to Paris and try his tricks anew, he takes Alice with him; the two share a small apartment (joined by his feisty white rabbit) and are content with their new father/daughter relationship. While their happiness never really dwindles, the poverty surrounding them, and the magician’s slow but steady inability to hold a job (let alone a magic-oriented act) in the trying times, weigh heavy on their livelihood.

Chomet’s animation and character designs are curiously sightly in the way the characters have too much detail (signified by excessive lines) in odd places, such as the wrinkles in the face or the folds in clothing or the creases in hands. Most of them are quite ugly due to the extreme exaggeration in physical distortions, from plump noses placed high on the head, to thinly stretched lips pulled across large teeth, to the incredibly obese, short and stocky, gangly or off-balance. Facial features are always elongated, misplaced, shrunken, or mutilated in hilariously stylized fashions. With the watercolored backgrounds and equally exaggerated body movements, Chomet’s animations are instantly recognizable.

The near nonexistence of dialogue allows the movie to be universally appealing and understandable, with the simplicity of the plot aiding in bringing the character designs to the forefront (so too are the background characters carefully stylized). Some may scoff at the intentional pacing, woeful mood, or the lack of action, but the heartfelt acts of kindness and saddening emotional stresses are beautifully realized. The Illusionist joins The Triplets of Belleville as a stunning masterpiece of illustration, animation, character design and story.…

Shoah Movie Review

I am hard pressed to say what Shoah (Hebrew for ‘catastrophe’) is. It is certainly not a movie, nor is it a documentary in the ordinary sense of the word. It is a 900-minute manifesto and testimony. It brings back landscapes of an anti-world, a place that hates life and is mindlessly yet systematically determined to destroy all traces of it. It is a huge monument to the Holocaust, and the footage is a world treasure. We will never meet these people again; they all will soon be or have already died of old age.

The only thing that happens in the ten hours of Shoah are the interviews- words and faces, slow, detached pans of Polish landscapes, trains (lots of trains), towns as they are today, and the extermination camps where the many millions were murdered. But Shoah is not yet another sensational documentary of the Nazi holocaust. It gives us no grim footage of liberated camps or demonizing portraits and footage of brutal Nazi SS leaders. Through intimate interviews with survivors, bystanders, and perpetrators, Shoah first stuns numbs us with its minute detail of everything seen and heard at the time of the transports and as we gradually come to our senses forces us to examine what it means to be human.

Shoah does not let the viewer escape without a new and profound sense of not only an evil that has gone beyond human control, but also of the hope that we must carry in our hearts as an eternal torch that we are capable of stopping such things from happening. Shoah is the most heartbreaking accounting of human events that I have ever seen, but seeing it also gives one an imperative passion and duty to seek joy in life, or else there is no point in living. Shoah does not demonize or victimize intentionally; it is like a runaway train out of control. All the faces in Shoah are human, and all demand our compassion, even the SS officers.

Shoah is a mammoth and monumental contribution to the Holocaust Museum, and its interviews are priceless. To say that it goes beyond our conception of human life and behavior just scratches the surface of this profound masterpiece. Shoah is many things at the same time, and if it is dazing it is also reaffirming. If it is bleak and merciless it is also hopeful and kind. It is never apologetic nor is it propagandistic. In the final analysis, to see this film is tough, but it forces a metamorphosis of the mind, and in the end one is left with a strong sense of dignity. This film is one of those very rare pieces that can change one’s life for the better.…

Prometheus Movie Review

Prometheus is yet another Sci-Fi thriller with a more serious portfolio to it. The movie involves exploration of the universe, and with the universe comes the concept of aliens in every Sci-Fi movie. This movie isn’t any exception too. Find out below if Prometheus will give you something different.

Plot

The story of the movie involves a group of explorers who want to make a break through discovery by finding the source of the human origin on Earth. They take on a journey which leads them to the most haunted places of the universe, which will not only puts their life at stake but the entire mankind too.

Cast

The main cast line includes:

* Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace)

* David (Michael Fassbender)

* Janek (Idris Elba)

* Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron)

* Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green)

* Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce)

Reception

Since its release on May 30, 2012, the movie has earned a worldwide figure of $158,069,945. The film had been nominated for the Best Sound Editing and Summer Blockbuster Summer 2012 Trailer at the Golden Trailer Awards. It awaits its result for three nominations at the Teen Choice Awards. The haunting set up of the film drew quite a lot of popularity for the film giving it a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Prometheus movie review

Prometheus, the new prequel to “Alien”, echoes one of the lost elements in the science fiction of today. It is your prerogative if you want to pay extra to watch the third dimension especially when even two would do just fine. Director Ridley Scott is back to a familiar territory, introducing the first Prometheus to the audience, or “the Engineers” who are muscular humanoids with big sclera-less eyes.

“Prometheus” is based on the story of Xenomorphs right from the very start. And, after watching the film, you will see that it isn’t really about the aliens. The story revolves around the people involved in the wreckage of a huge inter-galactic journey. Film’s writer, Damon Lindelof and Scott wanted the story to stray away from the original “Alien,” and develop its own story. The story moves on intelligently, in a simple and inquisitive manner. But post the midpoint the film somehow slows down, but still keeps the audience captivated.

It is about an archaeologist’s couple trying to look into our origins, Charlie Holloway and Elizabeth Shaw. Shaw and Holloway are lovers, too and trying to find the answer to where did humans come from. A senior uber-rich man named Peter Weyland (Guy Pierce) funds the expedition, and the creation of a new scientific vessel named Prometheus.

They discover a star map that leads them to a distant moon tracking an alien world. Their mission, although scientific in nature, is still ill-defined. The group of 17 has a resident cyborg, David, (Michael Fassbender). And surprisingly the whole team is minus any weapons!

To wrap up Prometheus movie review, like its simulated predecessor Alien, is aesthetically noteworthy; its horror is more terrestrial. It seems you are relatively safer in the space but when you touchdown on a stranded planet then it a different story altogether.…

What to Look for in a Professional Mini Movie Making Service

Since the creation of the many movie hosting websites that have inundated the World Wide Web, many mini movie making service has come to the market place to try and make their mark. Using small movies for marketing purposes is nothing new. Advertising firms have been making small thirty second advertisements for years as evidenced by the many different commercials on television. However, the idea of mini movies has taken on a whole new meaning. Some companies are actually using products or services as themes for making a movie in and of itself. Many critics have expressed a concern about the direction of the film making business because of this new genre. However, most people will agree that traditional entertainment will always have its own appeal to audiences and that any movie made specifically for marketing purposes will probably not have much lasting value.

A mini movie making service has many different options available to make a movie. There are a host of software programs available. The many different programs available are different in how they provide user interactivity. These programs make it easier for video creators to develop and produce their mini stories. For the most basic of movie making personnel, a software program should have the ability to edit different transitions into the clip. A movie creation company will use different programs and techniques to make their movie. The software available is numerous and requires special expertise. The video content should contain professional graphics. The content of most videos are usually pretty remarkable.

Many companies wishing to utilize a movie making service are very concerned about the cost involved. Many companies will charge too much for their services and in addition the movie created will not be something that meets the criteria specified by the employer. A movie creation company must have creative vision, a professional look, and most importantly must catch the attention of an audience. A mini movie making service that charges for their work does not necessarily mean that they are the best company to use. There can be no doubt that the expertise required to make a movie should be compensated. For years people have always had problems in hiring the right company for the job that needs to be done. The movie creation company that makes a video that becomes viral is the one that is most successful. Most companies who wish to hire one of these movie makers are also going to be concerned about their financial budget.

A mini movie making service will start with a good script. The script is what drives the creative theme of the mini movie. Many marketing tactics have been employed around a movie theme. In fact a good movie creation company will employ a variety of marketing tactics in a small movie, from product placement to even making a small comedic play. There are many techniques to employ when making a movie, which makes it important for any company wishing to employ someone for these services to find the right filmmaker for their needs.…

What the Movie “District 9” Says About the Future of Bio-Metric Weapons

The United States military now has weapons that only US servicemen can fire, they do this by putting a ring, with biometric details on the hand of each soldier. If their ring is out of range, the weapon cannot fire. This means that if a base camp with US troops is overrun, by let’s say the Taliban, those folks cannot use the weapon against us. This type of technology is also being used for personal guns which people can buy, so if their children get a hold of them, they won’t fire.

Some police departments are also investing in these technologies, so if the policeman’s gun is wrestled away from them by a criminal, that criminal cannot shoot them with their own gun. These are all excellent uses for biometric weapon safety systems. And we saw this technology used in a recent movie. The movie is called District 9 and get involved aliens which landed on Earth, and they have weapons that only work with their DNA.

In fact, the screenplay writer took the idea of biometric safety devices one step further. Indeed all of the alien’s technologies interface with the individual alien that is running the equipment, computer system, spaceships, or weapons systems. This movie did an excellent job of showing the future innovations of these weapon systems in a science fiction action flick. This is a movie I would recommend to all those who are interested in gun safety, or the use of future biometric weapons in the military battlespace.

Indeed, District 9 is an allegory about humanity, and a very harsh look in the mirror of how we run things, and how we treat our own species. Perhaps, that’s why I liked the movie so much, and was very happy to see the future technologies and innovations also in the same movie. Please consider all this.…

Triple Dog Movie Review

Triple Dog is a 2009 drama-thriller distributed by Well Go. Some of its stars include Britt Robertson as Chapin, Alexa Fast as Eve, Scout Taylor-Compton as Liza, Janel Parrish as Cecily, and Emily Tennant as Sarah. The producers are Thomas L. Carter, Pascal Franchot, and Mike Jackson. The director is Pascal Franchot.

The story centers around a group of girls at a sleepover birthday party. They are all bored and decide to play a game called Triple Dog, which is Truth-or-Dare without the truth part. Eve, the birthday girl, chooses the girl and that girl must choose someone to dare her. She must do the dare or else she will have her head shaved. As each girl has her turn, the group begins to uncover the truth about the mysterious death of another girl, Stacy St. Claire. Some time earlier, she had jumped off the nearby Jogger’s Bridge to her death. Almost everyone figured it was suicide, but, as the girls find out, there was much more to it than that.

The two most interesting characters in the film are, I believe, Liza and Chapin. They both appear to be outcasts but Chapin is more of a troublemaker than Liza. Eve, who is new in town, befriends Chapin. Liza, on the other hand, is not a friend of Eve’s but is pressured into going to the birthday party. Chapin is always making fun of people, mainly other girls, which makes her extremely unpopular with the “popular” crowd, of which Eve tries to be a part. Liza has no friends except a rat that she carries around with her in a backpack. Because of this fact, everyone knows her better as “Rat Girl”. The ironic thing about these two outcasts, who seemingly have much in common, is that they can’t stand each other. They actually engage in a fight in the school library after Liza threatens to reveal why Chapin had been kicked out of Catholic school. It may be the fact that they are so much alike is why they don’t get along.

Another fascinating feature of Triple Dog is the kinds of dares that each of the girls is asked to perform. For most of them, the specific dares are in direct contrast to what they’re used to doing. They go against their reputations. For example, Sarah’s dare was to go streaking. Sarah is known as a good Catholic girl who never swears or does anything naughty. Liza is dared to stay in Eve’s brother’s closet until midnight, wearing a cheerleading outfit. As I stated earlier, she is an outcast, which is the direct opposite of what a stereotypical cheerleader is. Cecily’s dare is to urinate on the school principal’s front porch. Cecily is the student council president and a “goody two-shoes”.

To wrap, Triple Dog is a great thriller that is sure to keep its viewers on the edges of their seats from beginning to end!…

Advantages of Writing Movie Reviews

Television commercials on new releases are enough to entice millions of movie lovers who run off to the movie theatres to watch those movies. These movie commercials are created to hoodwink the audience. A commercial tends to show that a movie is simply amazing, whereas when a movie buff actually sees it, he finds it to be a complete flop picture. Just by watching these commercials, movie buffs run to theaters and waste their money to watch flop films that do not even stay in the theaters for a week. There is one simple way through which movie buffs can actually save their money. They can visit various movie review websites, if they are keen to know about new releases. From these movie review sites, movie buffs come to know people’s opinions about a particular movie. On the basis of the review a movie buff can take his decision (whether to watch it in the theater or categorize it as a flop movie).

Movie review writing has become quite popular these days. With numerous movie review sites out there in the Internet, many people are actually writing genuine and useful film reviews. In fact, many content writing firms are hiring talented copywriters to write genuine and proper film reviews and then, posting these reviews to various movie sites. Apart from E book writing, blog writing and posting, website content writing and article writing, the firms rendering online content writing services, are urging their copywriters to write reviews on the newly released films. Individual movie critics are also writing film reviews. By checking the reviews, people can actually take their decision on watching a movie. A bad review of a newly released movie will definitely deter a person from watching that movie.

Most of the movie review websites are free sites where people can visit and read reviews any time they wish. The user can also register to some of the movie sites. This allows him to write reviews about the films he has watched. After all, others might also be interested to know about the films that you have watched. Registration is very simple procedure. All you need to do is to follow the steps and get your name registered in the particular site.

Among the varied movie review sites The New Release Hall, IMBD and the offer the best reviews of the newly released films. The registration process is simple and once you are a registered member, you can read free film reviews and write and submit your own reviews as well. A bad movie can spoil your mood and interest. Moreover, it also burns a hole in your pocket as you spend dollars to watch a flop movie. So it is always better to visit one of the movie review sites, read the review of a newly released movie and then, decide whether it is worth watching in the theater.…

David Banner – This Christmas

“This Christmas” is a 2007 film billed as a comedy-drama written, directed, and produced by Preston A. Whitmore II. It is a story revolving around the Christmas holiday and the Whitfield family in particular. The children are home for the holiday, including one son that has not been home in four years. All of them have their own stories, their own “baggage,” that is brought along for the vacation. Throughout the film, secrets become revealed and the bonds of the family are continually tested. As all the lives of the Whitfield family meet together, in the end, they are able to learn what it truly means to be a family.

This movie stars Idris Elba, Chris Brown, and Regina King. Other actors and actresses include Loretta Devine, Delroy Lindo, Sharon Leal, David Banner, and a cameo by Mekhi Phifer.

The reception of “This Christmas” was very mixed. On the review aggregate website, Rotten Tomatoes, a small majority declared the film as “rotten.” The main consensus about this film was that it “has strong performances, but relies too heavily on holiday movie clich?�s.” Even with a few bad interviews, when it premiered in theaters, it was ranked as second in the box office and opened with over $17,000,000. The whole film grossed $49,121,934 domestically.

The film’s score generated favorable reviews. The Jive Records released the soundtrack in November 2007. It featured the vocal styling of Chris Brown, Jordin Sparks, B2K, Aaron Neville, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, Toni Braxton, and TLC.

The movie did garner a few awards and nominations. MTV nominated Chris Brown for a movie award for Best Breakthrough Performance, while the Image Awards nominated Loretta Devine for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture and Preston A. Whitmore II for Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture. Sharon Leal won an Asian Excellence Award for Outstanding Actress in a Movie.…