JUST MERCY movie review

I have never been so moved and interested in a court movie. This displays how social injustice has been rampant for a long time. Very relevant and a must watch.

This tackles about white supremacy in the United States and how black people fall victim to it. Based on the true story about how civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) struggled to bring justice for the wrongly accused members of the death row.

Even Bryan Stevenson almost wasn't able to escape the abuse of the racism that occurs during that time which has motivated him to pursue justice more and take action against the injustice. It has been tough but he knew that he cannot let his people down. A true marking of a hero for his clients and those who trust him, Bryan Stevenson was able to deliver the case of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), one of the most controversial death row cases in that time.

It feels bad for those who were innocent and received the electric chair punishment. Their hopes and dreams were lost. Especially for Herbert Richardson (Rob Morgan) who held on his faith until his last moments. A very nerve wracking experience to sit on his death caused by the poor justice system. It is also noted how people in authority had put many in control just to push on what is not true.

Just Mercy is now showing exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas.

Subscribe to my updates:

Read More

RICHARD JEWELL movie review

Following the events after the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Warner Bros. produced the movie about Richard Jewell, the security personnel that came from hero to villain as how he was perceived by people in authority for personal gain. Clint Eastwood directs this moving film with a strong message that tells us how fake news is made for some interests.

At first Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser) has a bad reputation as a security guard who was just doing his job in his previous employers until he met lawyer Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell) who has received his respect and became his best friend. Their bond was tested when Jewell was villified in the bombing incident in the 1996 Olympics that was curated by the FBI and media until he was proven innocent.

This movie says that you don't need the approval of many if you got one who trusts and knows you well. This also implies how bad people can get for career movement like what happened to reporter Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde). At least we can rely on Atty Bryant who believes Jewell well and his willingness to defend the person til the end. It was a pity for Bobi Jewell (Kathy Bates) who had to go through attacks on her son and broken down to go out in public.

Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates and Paul Walter Hauser in Richard Jewell

Acting wise, the emotional performances are remarkable especially for Kathy Bates. Her involvement as Bobi Jewell is heartfelt for a mother who wants the best for her son. Paul Walter Hauser's portrayal is lovable and you'll go through his journey in this investigation. Olivia Wilde's performance as Kathy Scruggs is a character you'll love to hate because of her persistence in proving Jewell guilty and then changed after her own investigations.

Richard Jewell is now showing in cinemas.

Subscribe to my updates:

Read More

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI movie review

Just as I am writing this I realized that this movie title has lots of repeated letters in it. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is not your typical comedy-drama movie.

In an unresolved murder of her daughter, Mildred (Frances McDormand) to rent three billboards that caught national attention that also put the local police station to struggle. The beginning went very interesting when the billboards were put out. In this case, if you work as an advertising supplier, you don't really think what message will be delivered as long as you easily earn big bucks.

Being dubbed as the "bad girl" in the community, Mildred didn't stop in pursuing justice for her daughter. The irony that the person seeking justice was not given fair justice and her anger is felt every scene that you will be more attentive on why's and how's. You will hate her and pity her and you'll give better understanding of her feelings and what she's going through.

Given all the drama and violence, there are also scenes that you will be laughing at your seat. Her unlikely and unexpected relationships, and turn of events for people of power. There's also an issue of discrimination, not for her but for the people in the community.

Officer Dixon's (Sam Rockwell) home is also a funny place in the movie where a person in uniform bends over his dauntless mom. But in spite of a very stubborn officer, he thinks he can manage Mildred but he's wrong. He also has no means and power but amazingly redeems himself towards the end of the story.

I was broken hearted when Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) has taken his life but at least he also saved himself from the negative perception of Mildred and community. He made poor choices but his letters after dying are very heartfelt.

From 20th Century Fox, “THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI” opens February 14 only in the following cinemas – Eastwood, Shangri-la Mass, Century City Mall, Commerce Mall, Festival Mall, Fisher Mall, Gateway Mall, Fora in Tagaytay and at Vista Cinemas: Evia, Las Pinas, Sta. Rosa, Bataan, Pampanga and Daang Hari.

Subscribe to my updates:

Read More

ICYMI: Tomb Raider FULL TRAILER with Alicia Vikander

Check out the first trailer of Tomb Raider featuring Oscar winner, Alicia Vikander and directed by Roar Uthaug. Tomb Raider opens in the Philippines March 2018.
In the film, Lara Croft is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished when she was scarcely a teen. Now a young woman of 21 without any real focus or purpose, Lara navigates the chaotic streets of trendy East London as a bike courier, barely making the rent, and takes college courses, rarely making it to class. Determined to forge her own path, she refuses to take the reins of her father’s global empire just as staunchly as she rejects the idea that he’s truly gone. Advised to face the facts and move forward after seven years without him, even Lara can’t understand what drives her to finally solve the puzzle of his mysterious death.

Going explicitly against his final wishes, she leaves everything she knows behind in search of her dad’s last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. But her mission will not be an easy one; just reaching the island will be extremely treacherous. Suddenly, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Lara, who—against the odds and armed with only her sharp mind, blind faith and inherently stubborn spirit—must learn to push herself beyond her limits as she journeys into the unknown. If she survives this perilous adventure, it could be the making of her, earning her the name Tomb Raider.

Subscribe to my updates:

Read More

HACKSAW RIDGE movie review

It is one of those you seem "just another war movie" but then I realize, it's not. Mel Gibson preaches on the love of God in the middle of a crisis in 2016's HACKSAW RIDGE starring Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Vince Vaughn, Hugo Weaving, Teresa Palmer and more. An incredible and heroic story of Desmond Doss, a US-Japan war veteran, coming in Philippine cinemas, February 22.

The first quarter of the movie talks about how Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) was raised in a God-fearing family and how he acquired a moral obligation on serving his country as a medic. His love life with Dorothy Schutte (Teresa Palmer) was an adorable one. Like how we would love our grandfathers tell their story of our grandmothers. It was a good and cheesy love story and will give you giggles and feels. The rise and fall of emotions hits you in the heart.

Teresa Palmer and Andrew Garfield as Dorothy Schutte and Desmond Doss

Being in the military is no easy for anyone, much so for Doss. His skinny physique has made him a joke as a member of the battalion but it did not stop him from pursuing his willingness to serve. Imagine a soldier never handled a weapon as his moral promise but then he fulfilled his obligation to the country and above to continue living for others and himself. His striking speech before the military court is the best I've heard:

Because when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, I took it personal. Everyone I knew was on fire to join up, including me. There were two men in my hometown declared 4-F unfit, they killed themselves cause they couldn't serve. Why, I had a job in a defense plant and I could've taken a deferment, but that ain't right. It isn't right that other men should fight and die, that I would just be sitting at home safe. I need to serve. I got the energy and the passion to serve as a medic, right in the middle with the other guys. No less danger, just... while everybody else is taking life, I'm going to be saving it. With the world so set on tearing itself apart, it doesn't seem like such a bad thing to me to wanna put a little bit of it back together.

This will be Andrew Garfield's one of the most memorable roles ever. Saving 75 men from Hacksaw Ridge as Desmond Doss is very physically and emotionally challenging because we're talking about lives here. The dreadful conditions of war are two-way affecting us -- the people who fought on location and people left at their homes. It's also the things that people don't realize that's more valuable than killing. That wars don't bring any good.

* Hacksaw Ridge is nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director (Mel Gibson), Actor (Andrew Garfield) and Film Editing.

Subscribe to my updates:

Read More

THE DANISH GIRL movie review

United International Pictures bring the Oscar-nominated THE DANISH GIRL starting February 3 and it will be exclusively shown in Ayala Malls Cinemas. Nominations include Best Picture, Best Actor for Eddie Redmayne and Best Actress for Alicia Vikander Here's my review for this great movie.

First thing that you'll fall in love with this movie is its cinematography. Great scene with striking colors as if everything looks like a painting. Even for the characters on how each picture is well-composed for the delight of the eye. You will not get bored of each scene and appreciate every picture. It seems that they banked on the professions of the characters as artists so they created each scene with great composition.

Eddie Redmayne established the character very well from the start. The expressions and body language really defined Lili and helping the audience understand the feelings of a person unsure of his sexuality and identity. This makes Eddie Redmayne a very good contender in the Best Actor race

Alicia Vikander's character is one equally great woman. With the consequences of what supposed to be "fun" and "complicated" to her loved one, she managed to be strong and accepted the fate of her husband. It is just right that there's also acceptance with the society they lived in.

The movie started with a little fun but the drama is not too dragging. I think it is an eye candy as you go through scene to scene. Dialogues are simple but the love exchange between Eddie and Alicia's characters are heartfelt and poetic.

Want to receive more stuff from me? Enter your email address and click the button:

Read More

THE REVENANT movie review

You can describe The Revenant more than intense, just as how Leonardo DiCaprio endured all physical challenges in the movie -- from extreme weather conditions, including a bear attack and more wounds that were almost impossible to heal. The worst feeling of it all was a betrayal from your own confidant and leaving you with almost nothing behind. That's why it's up to you how to survive, just how Hugh (DiCaprio) showcased his survival skills in this flick.

Grab a hold of anything you can bite on with the strong and violent scenes from start to finish. Make sure that you are strong to take on all blood squirts and blade cuts to and from our characters. The sight of bleeding wounds and piercing cuts were so real, it's really up to you to cover your eyes or not. The location totally gives the opposite of the scenes in every story. The very serene and cold location somehow blankets the violent and bloody action happening among its dwellers. Quite a beautiful view with a dark story to tell.

The Revenant is also can be considered the most physically challenging role for Leonardo DiCaprio. Unlike his other acclaimed movies, Wolf of Wall Street, The Great Gatsby and more, his The Revenant role is more hard-hitting and quite adventurous and very much apart from his glamorous image. His nomination for Best Actor can give way to his most-awaited win at the Oscars. But I'm not quite sure yet. Let's think positive and I'd still be happy otherwise.

The Revenant mainly focused on Leo's struggles to survive and to take revenge to his confidant Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy). With side stories that are based on true events, director Alejandrino Iñarritu successfully was able to get the people immersed in the story and feel with the characters.

Showing starting February 3 in theaters from 20th Century Fox, The Revenant is also available in IMAX format.

Want to receive more stuff from me? Enter your email address and click the button:

Read More

The Danish Girl opens February 3 in Ayala Malls Cinemas

The highly acclaimed and Oscar-nominated film, The Danish Girl, starring Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne will be shown in Ayala Malls Cinemas starting February 3, 2016.

Based on the book by David Ebershoff, “The Danish Girl” tells the extraordinary story of Lili Elbe, one of the world's first people to undergo gender confirmation surgery, and the powerful love story of two people who go through Lili's journey together. It movingly portrays a marriage going through a profound transformation.

In 1926 in Copenhagen, artist Einar Wegener (Redmayne) is married to Gerda Wegener (Vikander) and is revered for landscape paintings. Gerda is also an artist, less renowned but steadily working as a portraitist of prominent citizens. Theirs is a strong and loving marriage, yet personal and professional epiphanies have eluded them both.

That all begins to change one day when, on deadline for a portrait, Gerda asks her husband to fill in for a model by putting on a dress so that she can finish the painting. The experience is transformative, as Einar soon realizes that being Lili is an expression of her truest self, and she begins living her life as a woman. Gerda unexpectedly finds that she has a new muse, and renewed creative ferment. But the couple soon brush up against society's disapproval.

They leave their homeland for the more open-minded world of Paris. There, it is Gerda's career that continues to flourish. The couple's marriage evolves - and not without strain. But again and again Gerda supports Lili during her journey as a transgender woman. Through the other, each of them finds the courage to be who they are at heart.

“The Danish Girl” is vying for four Academy Awards, namely Best Actor (Redmayne), Best Supporting Actress (Vikander), Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. At the recently-concluded Golden Globe Awards, the film was nominated for Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Original Score. Watch the trailer here:

The Danish Girl - Global trailer

The Danish Girl will be exclusively shown in Ayala Malls Cinemas starting February 3, 2015. #MySureSeatsDistributed by United International Pictures Philippines through Columbia Pictures Philippines.

Posted by Ohmski on Sunday, January 24, 2016

The Danish Girl is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures Philippines.

Want to receive more stuff from me? Enter your email address and click the button:

Read More

ANNIE movie review

Quvenzhane Wallis and Jamie Foxx in this year's movie adaptation of Broadway musical and winner of several Tony Awards, Annie which opens in Philippine theaters, January 21, distributed by Columbia Pictures and directed by Will Gluck.

Annie (Quvenzhane Wellis), as interpreted as a black foster kid of the cruel Ms. Hannigan (Cameron Diaz), shows a tough girl of New York City. In the events that she look forward to meeting her long lost parents, it has been a hard knock life. And getting into an encounter with mayoral candidate Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) that will make her life change, maybe forever.

The newest Annie gives us a hip-hop take about the Broadway musical and set in a contemporary time that takes out her red jumper dress. Her great singing talent with the graceful moves makes Annie more street smart.

Cameron Diaz doesn't deliver that much terror to Annie as Ms. Hannigan should have been. And why is she casted with that voice? They could have sent another actress to play the part. I can totally agree when you say "Little Girls" arrangement is awful. Jamie Foxx as Will Stacks presents a commoner despite his stature. Pleasing the

Want to receive more stuff from me? Enter your email address and click the button:

Read More

Manila is first stop of Disney's Beauty & the Beast

Theater fans, families, especially kids are very much open to welcome Disney's one of the longest running Broadway musicals of all time, Beauty and the Beast. For 2015, Beauty and the Beast will open hearts despite any appearance and break any curse caused by hate. Ovation Productions and Disney Theatrical Production and NETworks collaborate to bring this magical fairy tale in Philippine theater.

It also played in Istanbel, Abu Dhabi, Thessalonik, Trieste, Milan and starting Asian tour in Manila, Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta, Kazakhstan and finally Macau marking the first time to be seen in these areas.

Since 1991, we all fell in love with the story of Belle, the young maiden from a provincial town and the Beast who is actually a prince trapped in a spell placed by an enchantress. He has to learn to love and be loved in return, and if time goes out, he will be doomed forever. Belle's presence in the Beast's company includes romantic, funny and dramatic scenes that the whole family will enjoy. Matching with playful and colorful production notes and characters like Lumiere and Mrs. Potts. But Belle and the Beast should be careful with Gaston, the antagonist of the story. Gaston was also played by Hugh Jackman in the Australian production.

See some highlights of Beauty and the Beast in other countries:

Disney's Beauty and the Beast directed by Rob Roth and choreographed by Matt West. Tony Award-winning Ann Hould-Ward for Costume design; Natasha Katz for lighting design; Stanley Meyer for scenic-design; John Petrafesa, Jr. for sound design and Michael Kosarin for music supervision.

Based on the 1991 Academy award-winning film of the same title, Beauty and the Beast premiered on Broadway in 1994 and was nominated for 9 categories in the Tony Awards. Celebrating 13 years touring, it is indeed one of the longest and highest ranking Broadway shows of all time.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast will stage at Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Theater) on January 9-25, 2015. Shows are at 8PM with matinees at 2PM on Saturdays and Sundays. Visit www.facebook.com/beautyandthebeastph, beautyandthebeast.com.ph for details.

Ticket prices (plus applicable service charges):
P 7,895
P 6,845
P 5,790
P 4,740
P 4,210
P 3,160
P 2,105

Want to receive more stuff from me? Enter your email address and click the button:

Read More

2 Roberts in The Judge

Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall star in a drama where family values and principles clash. Warner Bros. Pictures' The Judge is the first time team up of Oscar nominee RDJ and Oscar winners Robert Duvall on the big screen. The film is set to play in theaters October 22, distributed by Warner Bros Pictures (Philippines).

In The Judge, RDJ plays city lawyer Hank Palmer who will go back to his childhood place and meet his enstranged father and town judge, Robert Duvall, who is suspected of murder. There, Hank will discover truth and will reconnect him to the family he left.

The film also features a stellar supporting cast, including Vincent D’Onofrio (TV’s “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”), Jeremy Strong (“Zero Dark Thirty,” “Lincoln”), Dax Shepard (TV’s “Parenthood”), Leighton Meester (TV’s “Gossip Girl”), Ken Howard (“J. Edgar,” “Michael Clayton”), Emma Tremblay (“Elysium”), Balthazar Getty (TV’s “Brothers & Sisters”), David Krumholtz (“This Is the End”), Sarah Lancaster (TV’s “Chuck”), Grace Zabriskie (TV’s “Big Love”) and Denis O’Hare (TV’s “True Blood”).

Want to receive more stuff from me? Enter your email address and click the button:

d2fc1cfc574aa69735bf1af5ca3001b80d49daa3c7c65c4d7a646fe74db424814c10c6d196db1728

Read More

OSCAR 2013 nominations

the countdown on night that will tell who's the best among the rest has finally began. the Academy has officially announced the contenders for this year's Oscar Awards. well surprisingly, The Hobbit didn't get the nominations for Best Picture. it's unusual for me because The Lord of the Rings trilogy got the Best Picture and Best Direction for a Feature film with Peter Jackson.

but now, as it was lately announced, i am so happy to see many of the movies i've seen were nominated. Argo, Life of Pi, Mirror Mirror, Snow White and the Huntsman, Skyfall are the movies that i saw from the past year. and the other movies like Zero Dark Thirty and Silver Linings Playbook are yet to be seen. hope they can get it her in the Philippines soon so everybody can check.

here are a partial list of nominees:

Best Picture - Amour, Argo, Beasts of Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty

Best Actor in a Leading Role - Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), Daniel Day Lewis (Lincoln), Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables), Joaquin Phoenix (The Master), Denzel Washington (Flight)

Best Actress in a Leading Role - Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Emmanuelle Riva (Amour), Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild), Naomi Watts (The Impossible)

Actor in a Supporting Role - Alan Arkin (Argo), Robert De Niro (Silver Linings Playbook), Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master), Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln), Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

Actress in a Supporting Role - Amy Adams (The Master), Sally Field (Lincoln), Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables), Helen Hunt (The Sessions), Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook)

Best Director - Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook), Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild), Ang Lee (Life of Pi), Steven Spielberg (Lincoln), David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook)

i cannot bet on my choices since i haven't seen them all. but it will be great to know if the movies i've seen gets major awards. to get the full list of nominations, you can check the Academy Awards website. the awarding ceremonies will be commenced on February 26 2013.

Want to receive more stuff from me? Enter your email address and click the button:

Read More

THE ARTIST movie review

at last i saw The Artist and i can say that i never regret watching it even though i wasn't very much interested at it first. just as i know is that it was a grand winner from all movie award-giving bodies. and just as it was shown in the opening night of the French Film Festival here in the Philippines, i never let the chance pass to see it. this is a great masterpiece of Michel Hazanavicius letting the experience of silent film in today's generation.
the story is about George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), a silent film actor in the early 20th century. a handsome, famous and thinks he has it all. he cheers everyone with his acting abilities and that he is loved.
until Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), a newly discovered actress comes to the scene. her dreams come true one by one starting by getting into George Valentin. they collaborated too in some movies. her star gets brighter in Hollywood until she was offered the first movie with talking.
George Valentin didn't accept this change at first and he laughed about it. later on the new technology in movies was more patronized by the public. his silent films diminish their entertainment value. he didn't see this coming, eventually he loses everything to the point he put his life in danger. on the other hand, Peppy was on his back checking out his whereabouts and conditions. when George is falling down, she supported by buying all his things in order to provide money for him. when he finally accepted his shortcomings, he embraced the changes and he humbled himself to get in the industry again.
what really amazed me is the sound editing. and of course, displaying the production style of silent films before and its further developments throughout the years until what we are witnessing these days. the story is a classic rise and fall of celebrities saying that they can't have it all. life lessons that we have to get out of our comfort zone and embrace changes in our lives.

Want to receive more stuff from me? Enter your email address and click the button:

Read More

OSCARS 2012 complete list of winners

congratulations to the winners of the 84th Academy Awards! here is the complete list of winners:

Best Picture - The Artist
Actor in a Leading Role - Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Actress in a Leading Role - Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Actor in a Supporting Role - Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Actress in a Supporting Role - Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Animated Feature Film - Rango
Cinematography - Hugo
Art Direction - Hugo (Dante Ferreti - Production Design / Francesca Lo Schiavo - Set Decoration
Costume Design - Mark Bridges (The Artist)
Directing - Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Documentary Feature - Undefeated
Documentary Short - Saving Face
Film Editing - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Foreign Language Film - A Separation (Iran)
Make Up - Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland (The Iron Lady)
Music (Original Score) - Ludovic Bource (The Artist)
Original Song - "Man or Muppet" by Bren McKenzie (The Muppets)
Animated Short Film - The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Live Action Short Film - The Shore
Sound Editing - Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty (Hugo)
Sound Mixing - Tom Fleischman and John Midgley (Hugo)
Visual Effects - Rob Legato, Josh Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning (Hugo)
Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (The Descendants)
Writing (Original Screenplay) - Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris)

The Artist bagged 5 awards in total tied with Hugo. The Iron Lady with 2 awards. Christopher Plummer received his first Oscar at the age of 82 making him the oldest person to receive the golden statue.

Want to receive more stuff from me? Enter your email address and click the button:

Read More

ANG BABAE SA SEPTIC TANK for OSCARS

from the whopping 5 awards in the Cinemalaya 2011 -- including Best Actress, Best Screenplay and Best Director -- Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (The Woman in the Septic Tank) now vies for the biggest award for a foreign movie, the Academy Awards. increase its potential to be included in the nominees and take pride in the Filipino talent of film making.

any genre almost fit in a 90-minute clip. comedy, drama, documentary, musical themes that might just receive an Oscar. educational too, learn Acting 101 with the Best Actress Eugene Domingo. joining her taking lessons in experience are JM De Guzman, Kean Cipriano and Cai Cortez.

this movie, not just as played by Eugene Domingo, has a lot of factors to consider. let her tell you why in this full trailer:

vote for Ang Babae sa Septic Tank at the Oscars. let the world know how it can cross the barriers of independent film making to the mainstream. we know that audiences are getting more and more intelligent in choosing a very good movie. when i saw it, i was very amused in the script and the acting abilities of her co-stars. giggled how Cai managed to be in the movie without saying anything. PETA for the musical number, and with special participation of Cherry Pie Picache and Mercedes Cabral.

this also opens the view of the audience on how to create an independent film. ups and lows but all for the fun and love it. if you have missed it, watch out for another release.

Want to receive more stuff from me? Enter your email address and click the button:

Read More

BLACK SWAN movie review

BLACK SWAN reflects the story of ballerinas who dream about getting the big role in the famous rendition of The Swan Lake. here, Natalie Portman is Nina Sayers, a girl wishing for the role but apparently didn't get it. instead she tried so hard to the extent of losing herself, particularly her mind.

getting in to the title role brings the "Diva Complex" in the ballerina. aside from being the star of the show, they want to be everything. they want all the attention and don't want to lose it. that's why they go beyond the partnership between the big people in the industry. a little discreet prostitution in there.

at first, Nina is a sweet woman and will do everything straight and she wants it to be the result of hard work. but then, she discovers the reality in the industry and tries to give in. but she enjoyed the prize of fame.

BLACK SWAN gave me a psychological terror. it really freaked me out but it was a very good movie. i just can't seem to look at blood and how it drips from the body. there are also very scary scenes that grossed me out but very well executed for the effectiveness of the story. especially when Natalie Portman twists her joints and cracks her bones.

Natalie Portman is worthy of an award in this movie. with the training that she underwent to give her best in the movie, she deserves more than a standing ovation. in cinematography, it has an old feeling like some other art films and makes you really follow the story of the lead. then you will be drawn by the emotions of the mood of every scene. even the make up of the black swan is very fierce!


the BLACK SWAN will be in theaters starting Feb 9, 2011 by Fox Searchlight.

Want to receive more stuff from me? Enter your email address and click the button:

Read More

follow JESSE EISENBERG in Facebook

Jesse Eisenberg has de-friended his inner Mr. Nice Guy.

After years playing sweet, earnest and awkward in movies such as “Adventureland” and “Zombieland,” the actor has shown a more sinister side with his ruthless portrayal of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in the critically acclaimed “The Social Network” from Columbia Pictures.

Critical hosannas for the role may lead to an Oscar nomination, and the high-profile part is helping the boyish 27-year-old transition from "Hey, it's that guy" to a household name. But some signature halting nervousness comes into Eisenberg's voice when he talks about reactions he has gotten after screenings of the film.

"We do these question-and-answer sessions, and some people say, 'Why ... wha ... I was so turned off by your character. He was such a jerk. Why — why would you want to play this character?' " he says, repeating the stammering indignation. "There are these almost aggressive condemnations."

"The real other extreme is, 'I just wanted to give him a hug through the whole movie. I just felt so bad for him' — this is my mother talking," Eisenberg jokes. "But other people, too. 'The kid was so desperate to connect and just doesn't know how to. He's so lonely.' "

Even the visuals in the film try to underline that. Director "David Fincher practically composed the movie that way, with him behind panes of glass, in corners of rooms, framing him in a way that makes him look more isolated," Eisenberg says.

One personal reaction the actor hasn't received is from Zuckerberg himself, who did not cooperate with the filmmakers or meet Eisenberg prior to the shooting.

The script, by “West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin, explores the fractured friendships and allegiances between Zuckerberg and a handful of fellow Harvard students who in 2004 helped create Facebook, now estimated to be worth $33 billion.

On “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” Zuckerberg dismissed the film with a smile: "The last six years have been a lot of coding and focus and hard work, but you know, maybe it would be fun to remember it as partying and all this crazy drama." Zuckerberg was on the show to discuss a $100 million donation to Newark's troubled school system, which took place on the day of the movie's premiere — something widely regarded as an effort to burnish the back-stabbing image depicted in the film.

Eisenberg is inclined to go easier on Zuckerberg. "What he did was so incredibly generous," the actor says. "To attribute it to anything else seems mean-spirited and cynical."

It may be the only time he goes easy on Zuckerberg. Though Eisenberg didn't set out to attack, he plays the young CEO-to-be as brilliant but revoltingly condescending and lacking even a modicum of tact.

That's before the story even gets rolling.

Opening across the Philippines on Oct. 27, “The Social Network” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads and at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH to join fan contests.

Want to receive more stuff from me? Enter your email address and click the button:

Read More

THE SOCIAL NETWORK holds sneak previews next week

Considered as the film to beat in next year's Academy Awards, Columbia Pictures' “The Social Network,” the controversial movie detailing the origins of social media megasite Facebook, will have whole-day sneak previews on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 18 & 19 in selected theaters in Metro Manila. Tickets will be available at regular admission prices.

This affords film buffs and Facebookers a chance to watch the much-talked-about and critically acclaimed movie ahead of its grand opening here on Oct. 27. “The Social Network” has been the No. 1 movie in the US for two consecutive weeks now, earning a cumulative gross of $47-million.

Manohla Dargis of The New York Times praises “The Social Network” as “fleet...funny, exhilarating...supremely confident...a creation story for the digital age,” while Richard Corliss of Time Magazine raves, “The film is like a video game at warp speed. The rewards for paying attention are mammoth and exhilarating.”

“It’s the movie of the year that also brilliantly defines the decade,” applauds Peter Travers of Rolling Stone.

In the film, on a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history, but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications.

Also starring are Justin Timberlake (“Shrek The Third”) as Sean Parker, the Napster co-founder who became Facebook's founding president; and Andrew Garfield (“Lions for Lambs,” “Spider-Man” 2012) as Eduardo Saverin, the Facebook co-founder who fell out with Zuckerberg over money.

Directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, “The Social Network” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like ColumbiaPicturesPH on Facebook.

Want to receive more stuff from me? Enter your email address and click the button:

Read More