Ink (2009)

cool start to the movie; the blurry haze for the father-daughter scene did confuse me initially; but the dream-bringers raise a lot more questions. then comes the nightmare-inducers .... but that's not all! Enter the big-nosed boogie-man called Ink!?

Did the costume-designer for this feature get fired?? But I must add, there were some really nice low-budget SFX for a low-budget movie. I was just about to grapple with all the supernaturality of these 3 groups when the flickering of John's business colleague threw me off the plank. I gave up trying to figure out this movie on my own in its 20th minute. For the remaining 80 mins, I'm gonna just sit back and admire the amazing visuals that the cinematographer dared to capture. Every individual scene was coloured imaculately. The wakeup scene in blue; the office in beige; the kids-in-the-woods in golden-hue, etcetra.

The audience is still awaiting a hero to root for; & Jacob the path-finder gets thrown into the mix. I was already thinking that this film can have an entire tv-series spinoff to cater for the stoned crowds hungry for some 3am sci-fi. When Ink bowed to the Nightmare-inducer I wrinkled my brow. & the quest for assembly-codes <$#!% enter your favourite expression of bedazzlement here> was clearly written by someone who had bumped his head really hard while reading Lewis Caroll's books.

They're all reactions. A man has a weakness, he's flawed. That flaw leads him to guilt. That guilt leads him to shame. The shame he compensates with pride and vanity. & when pride fails, despair takes over & they all lead to his destruction. which will become his fate.

First Viewed: Alone at Harborne in Parramatta.

Rating-3*

Arthur (2011)

As the tagline reads 'Meet the world's only lovable billionaire', it seemed quite a bold statement. Arthur comes across as quite a underachiever if he really was a lovable billionaire.

He's got movie-collectable cars & a hover-bed; cleared out a train station for a date; trains with Evander Hollyfield; buys a publishing company for his sweetheart. All this doesn't showcase any of Arthur; it merely projects Russel Brand and his flair.

The movie has its good moments; and it does manage to entertain without making things gross or crass. This must be to cater to a wider family audience. But it also has moments which were disconnected. There are unexplained gaps which don't justify actions. Nick Nolte's character was a waste. Jennifer Garner's character did not draw any gasps from the audience.

There were chuckles to appreciate the witty writing (like the MTWTFSS question); but it was Dame Mirren's Hobson who was the most believable on screen. Everything else seemed either syrupy-sour or toffee-sweet.

As Executive Producer, Brand made sure he had plenty to emote. & thankfully the ending wasn't too sappy.

First Viewed: Alone at cinema in Parramatta.

Rating-2*

The American (2010)

The movie starts off with a cute bare bum & then an immediate scene introduces us to Jack's cold psyche. After watching the movie I felt that the entire movie's a stretched out short-film.

Setting it in a sleepy town in rural Italy made me think that it was another 'In Bruges'. The entire movie was shot beautifully; every scene was photogenic. But trust George Clooney to stand-out as the most gorgeous. (aaw, he's sold his soul to look like that at 50!)

It's a very simple story, but it's the execution that grows on. The blatant nudity does seem unnecessary; but who am I to object? My lower jaw hit the floor when Clooney was doing his pushups & pullups. I liked the way the lighting & music was used in the movie. I don't know if the director was aiming for a sense of restlessness amongst the audience; I certainly was getting anxious as to what cul-de-sac was I heading toward. It's a tricky film to critique. I liked it, but I know most won't.


Fav scenes: Edward's face after Clara leaves asking him out on a date; the booby-trapped gun; the end of desperation.

First Viewed: Alone at Harborne in Parramatta.

Rating-2.5*