j_jamison Reviews

The Signal (2014)

Is this what qualifies as a 'film' these days?

[2/10 · 11 January 2015]

Pointers.

1 - The Signal" is slow, tedious, and boring. Sleep-inducing to say the least. It starts off like a road-trip movie, except none of what the characters are doing could be deemed as remotely exciting. None of the actors look like they even wanted to be there. The lead actor looks like a prepubescent Ethan Hawke who doesn't know what the heck he's doing, not to mention his bucktooth, four-eyed buddy-slash- sidekick. As for the only female protagonist in the film, she isn't much of a looker either. She just exudes that excruciating, 'meh'- vibe.

2. To quote the main character from the film as he comes across some (apparently CGI-ed) dead-end road, "This doesn't make any sense". This movie raises more questions laying out 'clues' for the audience than it bothers to answer, until the very end's 'big payoff', which was a laughably half-assed attempt at plot-twist. The 'plot' itself is absurd, if you can even call it a plot. The entire film starts off with a trio of road-trippers who seems to be on a hunt for some mystery "hacker", and then it veers off into a 'escape-plan' flick from some ward, only to end off with an Ironman-esque action-packed charade with, guess what, SPOILER ALERT... Alien technology.

3 - The costume design is atrocious. It looks worse than a Comicon cosplay thrown together by fifth-graders. The movie has Lawrence 'Morpheus' Fishburne walking around in a stupid astronaut-looking hazard suit the entire time talking and asking questions in a monotonous voice. But hey, ever since The Matrix, that's what he's been doing best!

4 - The slow-mo scenes and the Terrence Malick-like cutaways. The third act has some impressive special effects, but as if the first 2/3 of the movie wasn't slow enough, the film bombards us with more 'look-at-me-dying-slowly-as-I-do-some-heroic-crap' montages and sentimental 'flashback', nature-scenery and carnival-rides crap.

This is the last time that I would ever watch any unknown 'indie' trash from some unknown director simply basing it off of a mildly intriguing poster art and title.

Undaunted... The Early Life of Josh McDowell (2011)

Dark & somber film with a heartfelt message about Christianity

[5/10 · 24 May 2013]

Josh McDowell is a writer and a public speaker who touches on aspects of familial relationships and Apologetics (the defending of Christianity) in general. This autobiographical film was based on his early life and explained his motivations behind what he does in his professional life.

The film was screened after a seminar he had given at a church near where I lived, while the audience didn't get to have a chance to speak to or have an interactive session/Q&A with Josh McDowell himself before he left, the film itself answered on why the person himself devoted his life on spreading the word of the Lord. Scripted in a half-documentary, half-motion picture format, the film is narrative-driven, and is complemented by somber, moody music for some of the 'darker' scenes in the film concerning the abuses McDowell received in his early childhood. For some though, the film may seem preachy at times given its Christian message - but I personally thought it served more as a prelude or a backstory behind "More Than a Carpenter", a book he had written about the factual and historical basis behind the Christian faith.

(On a side note, the film also has excellent set design and features some rather authentic, vintage '50-60s automobiles and costumes)

Waltz with Bashir (2008)

The amazing Waltz with Bashir

[10/10 · 20 December 2009]

This new film from Israel, a mixture of animation-cum-docu-drama, could be summed up in these words: It's an amazing, unique feat with sheer mesmerizing wonder.

Rarely has a rotoscoped animation (remember Waking Life & A Scanner Darkly?) been so captivating and proved to have used the 2D medium so wisely. The film's about a war veteran who lost his memories of his days in the Lebanon War back in the 80s, and the rotoscoped animation does exceedingly well in illustrating the surreal-nature of his haunted memories as he attempts to piece together his past through interviews with other veterans and people involved in the war.

Throughout the film, we see sequence after sequence of stories of the Lebanon War pieced together by war veterans, reporters, and even from the protagonist himself as he recollects his lost memories. These sequences are beautiful, surreal, and mesmerizing, and coupled with the wondrous orchestral music, they make for an extraordinary, spine-chilling experience. You'll have to see it for yourself to "get" it.

It's a rare honour to have come across a powerful film of such subtle magnitude. Ari Folman, the director (as the main war veteran protagonist) did an exceedingly good job in directing and acting in the film. Needless to say, the animation (mix of 2D, Flash & 3D) is the strongest point of the film - very fluid, realistic and consistent throughout - fitting the whole notion of how memories are often idealized/beautified in our minds adequately.

My rating for "Waltz with Bashir": 10/10

Californication (2007–2014)

For adults only: Californication

[9/10 · 20 December 2009]

Picture this: imagine you're a famous, charismatic, albeit deadbeat writer in L.A. in the middle of a mid-life crisis, a failed marriage and fathering an eccentric goth of a pre-teen daughter under the custodial care of your ex-wife. How would life have been for you? Such is the life of Hank Moody, played out in the fictional TV serial drama/ comedy "Californication". In the show, Hank Moody doesn't only deal with his familial problems; he also happens to be a p*ssy magnet, which makes incredibly hot chicks surround him most of the time. The premise of the show makes for plenty of hilarious moments (most involving sexual inneudos) as Hank Moody juggles between reconciling with his family and the hot ladies he's been banging.

David Duchovny, best known for his portrayal of Fox Mulder back in the early 90s X-Files series, stars in Californication as the lead protagonist. Fans of his movies and shows would come to appreciate the actor's portrayal of Hank Moody, as his subtle facial expression, or lack thereof, compliments the character's great deadpan humour.

The show is a first for me in terms of its copious amount of jokes revolving around sex, and the use of the 4-letter word, but that isn't much of a detracting factor for me. What's likable about Californication though, apart from its sexual humour (which aren't commonly seen in today's family-friendly programming), is its cleverly written story. Without spoiling anything, let's just say the plot of Hank Moody's sexually-charged journey towards sexual-gratification leads to numerous crazy twists and turns, one involving an underage daughter of his ex-wife's boyfriend. Another of the show's many hilarious moments includes an incident whereby Hank Moody's daughter stumbles upon his dad's one-night stand in his bedroom, and informs him, "There is a naked lady in my bedroom," followed by asking his father bemusedly, "Why is there no hair on her vagina? Is there something wrong?" All in all, in my opinion, this is definitely one show you shan't miss! (Provided you aren't under the age of 18, or can't tolerate the sight of excessive swearing, sex, or laugh-out-loud comedy)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

The Cruel Contradiction of Benjamin Button

[10/10 · 3 January 2009]

The phrase "Happy New Year" has been thrown around constantly by everybody as a matter of common courtesy, greeting, and parlance, seemingly devoid of sincerity and significance. What does it mean to embrace a new year and to be happy? In fact, when was the last time you ever brood over about the meaning of your existence and about your life in general? I did - just the day before 2009, I managed to watch the new Christmas movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (starring Brad Pitt) without lending much ideas about what the film symbolizes and how it's going to turn out. To my admiration, the film, whilst very well-made on its own, has cast a new light about my attitude towards life.

Directed by David Fincher, one of my favourite directors, whose filmography includes contemporary classics such as Se7en, Fight Club and Zodiac, "Benjamin Button" could most readily be summed up in 2 words: movie magic. The film tells a poignant tale about a man born miraculously of a defect with causes him to age backwards in time (somewhat alluding much to Christ's birth). Although the crux of the story sounds ludicrous and bizarre in nature, it is in fact a mere plot device to explore a gamut of universal issues from love, morality, to life & death.

Highlights of the film would be its star-studded cast (Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton), its brilliant, still-cam cinematography, a fitting orchestral soundtrack, and the amazing special effects (think middle-aged Pitt transforming to a pygmy 80-year old to being a 20-year old heartthrob again). The only downside to many however, might be its near 3-hour runtime. Most moviegoers (including me) might simply be looking for thrills & action-packed plot lines common in Hollywood blockbusters these days, but frankly I didn't mind the slow-moving nature of the film, it serves an essential purpose to evince the drudgingly long and painful chronology of a man's life. In fact, it is almost a mirror of life, as the adage goes, "art imitates life", and in this case, "Benjamin Button" is one such film which truly deserves such title. Through viewing the (albeit fictional) life of Benjamin, we are reminded of the plentiful contradictions of living : life is at once ugly and beautiful, we live and then we die, et cetera. There are memorable moments in life and there are plenty of those we would like to forget - life is lovely, but it is cruel at the same time.

In short, the film is all but an apt analogy about the universal mystery we call "life", it is a film that, after watching it, you'll grasp the subtle beauties of humanity, and appreciate the nuances of life. Rarely has a film captivated me on so many levels - it has both enthralled and left me embittered and downtrodden towards the end, taking a huge toll on my emotions! (I was literally in tears as the credits rolled) It is perhaps one of the most touching film of the century and movie-making at its finest. If I hadn't been so moved by it I wouldn't be motivated to extol the film and write an afterthought. My rating for "Benjamin Button": 10/10.

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

An underrated film

[7/10 · 23 November 2005]

Someone once posted:

"To view this movie is an exercise of visual torture coupled with the bleed through view points of O. Stone. Some movies shouldn't be made but since this piece of garbage was, then it shouldn't be viewed. Naturally this is just my opinion and generally I am not a flamer but I see no redeemable value in this film whatsoever."

My take on Born on the Fourth of July:

As a moviegoer, I wouldn't criticize this film as simply a "piece of garbage", but yes, what the above poster had mentioned, Born on the Fourth of July is rather an "exercise of visual torture". The movie's slow, there are grotesque scenes, violence, profanities, etc.

This film tells the true story of Ron Kovic, a Vietnam-war veteran's tortuous life after the war, and what we see here is basically the aftermath of how the Vietnam War has transformed him(mentally, physically, emotionally), shaped his attitudes of war, affected his self-esteem, and so on.

However, in my opinion, for the above poster to "see no redeemable value in this film whatsoever", is a pitiful remark of one's unfamiliarity with facts and unawareness about history.

Prior to Platoon, Oliver Stone may not have done a great job directing this movie. But Born on the Fourth of July is THE kind of film that had to be made for the story had to be told - what the Vietnam War did to people, in this case the main protagonist, Ron Kovic, was devastating. The wounded or suffered were innumerable. Thousands and thousands of Vietnam-war veterans were permanently scarred, physically and psychologically, and they found it difficult to return to civilian society, while Ron Kovic was just one of many who were guilt-ridden about their role in the war, paralyzed, and suffered from post traumatic stress disorder.

In all, contrary to what the above "someone" mentioned, this film DOES have a redeemable value, for it tells an American tragedy through the perspective of Ron Kovic.