Bernie Review

             
                        Bernie is directed by Richard Linklater. It stars Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine and Matthew McConaughey. Linklater directed Black in one of his better performances-School Of Rock as well as McConaughey in his best role-Dazed & Confused. With Bernie-all four of these people strike gold. The film bounces back between an acted account of a true story and interviews with real people who were part of this story. The story is that Bernie (Black) is dating Marjorie (MacLaine) and he supposedly kills her when she becomes very, very, very mean.

                         The best part of the film is Black. While MacLaine and McConaughey are great-Black is the stand out star here. Black has not made a good film in years. Here-he makes a great film and provides a great performance to go along with it. McConaughey plays the town's district attorney-Danny who convicts Black as the killer. The film also features some great interviews with some of the townspeople. By far the funniest interview was a redneck man who is constantly bashing other Texas states.

                          The film also features an intriguing transition in Bernie. Bernie is a great guy. In fact, he is the most liked guy in town. At one point during the film a local townswoman says "that dog don't hunt" referring to him. However, after a while we get the impression that Bernie is not the greatest guy in town, or even a good guy for that matter.

                           The film is a very dark comedy, so if you like your humor light then you might want to skip this one. The film features a good ending that does not feel cheap or dumb. Bernie can be a little slow at times, but it works for 99.9% of the film and I highly recommend seeing it if you want to see the comeback of Jack Black.
(4 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for some violent images and brief strong language)

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Review

         
              The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a collaboration of cultures comedy, and not a good one at that. I am not saying that it is a disappointing film. Rather, I am saying this is a terrible film. The great cast feels as if they're not even trying while director John Madden fills the screen with too many overly sweet and painfully unfunny moments.

              Literally every joke in this film revolves around how wacky and culturally unaware old people are. There is not one joke that does not put down old people. Perhaps not being an old person myself...I am offended by their interpretation while they themselves will enjoy seeing their lives on screen. The film itself is so drab, however. It gives us nothing to care about or be invested in. The cast should have been the saving grace for this film but no such luck.

               It is inevitable that this film is going to be a big hit with this cast, but please do not feed into it. The cast obviously read the script, thereby making them not care about what they're doing. As it is, if they don't care-the audience can't care. When the film tries to be dramatic-it's totally pathetic. Whenever one of those "look how sweet we're being" moments comes on screen-I rolled my eyes. I especially rolled my eyes when the hundredth one of those moments happened.

              Also, the film does not feature any likable character to root for. I acknowledge Madden and the cast try to make the characters likable, but they end up being just boring. The film itself also gives us many great actors stuck in terrible roles. For example-Maggie Smith, one of my favorite actresses is stuck in the role of the old racist woman while Dev Patel is stuck in the role of the guy with more potential than meets the eye. These are cliche roles given to (almost) always reliable actors.

             The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is dumb and lazy and boring. It does not give us any sort of solid story and features a completely cop out and predictable ending. Maybe if you are a senior-you will enjoy this film-maybe. Otherwise, don't see it.
(1 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for sexual content and language)

Not Too Shabby Review #1-Problem Child

                                In these reviews, which I myself have labeled as not too shabby reviews-I will defend movies that people consider some of the worst to their very core. I will make sure that people recognize that these movies have a reason to exist. May I remind you I may not particularly like all these films. Rather-I may just see the demographic that they were meant for. So without further ado-my review of the 1990 comedy Problem Child.

                              Problem Child is a film I cannot review as if I were up to date on reviewing it due to the fact that too many people have been bashing it for 22 years now. In fact, when it came out it only made $53,470,900 in all its weeks in the theaters. That is an impressively low budget-even for back then. I have always really liked this film. I think it is a funny comedy with many laughs coming from Michael Olivier as the destructive Junior. Junior is the problem child in question, and his antics have always personally been funny-albeit a bit immature to me. Perhaps it's because the first time I watched it I was 5 years old, and maybe the memory of enjoying it so much but I laugh every time I watch this film.

                              I really do think the whole cast is perfect here as well. From John Ritter as Ben-Junior's adoptive father to Amy Yasbeck as Flo-Ben's girlfriend. By far the best part of the film is Michael Richards as Martin Black AKA The Bow Tie Killer. This is Richards pre-Seinfeld, and when people watch it now I can't believe they don't enjoy seeing the transition from crazy killer to likable Kramer. Richards is perfect in this role, as he was as Kramer. Richards has gotten a bad rap for saying the N-word at a comedy club, but that was one (albeit pretty major) incident for a guy who is so funny in TV and movies. As well, I miss these types of roles from John Ritter. It's too bad he had to die so young-he was such a charismatic character actor-even in a children's film like this.

                             As many years I have been tempted to jump on the bandwagon and say Problem Child is an awful film-I simply can not. It is a strange film indeed. A film that is meant for kids but features a famous killer who always wears a bow tie. This is not one whose demographic I know, but it is one that I thoroughly enjoy. If you are a Seinfeld or Ritter fan, then you might as well check it out too.

What To Expect When You're Expecting Review

                       I can sit here and make a cheesy joke about how not excited I was to see this film. However, I will suck it up and be the big man. I will do this by saying right off the bat that I really enjoyed What To Expect When You're Expecting. Now..don't get me wrong here-it's not a great film by any stretch of the imagination and most guys will not like this film, but deep down in the windows of my soul I could not help but admit that I was entertained.

                       The film-like many other films of the romantic comedy nature stars a group of (mostly) big name actors who get a paycheck for hamming it up. Here, though..it is actually fun to see these actors play off one another. Unlike in last year's bomb New Years Eve-we get a cast of people who actually know what they're doing when it comes to playing off one another. Here we have Chris Rock, Thomas Lennon, Rob Huebel, Dennis Quaid, Brooklyn Decker, Elizabeth Banks, Cameron Diaz, Anna Kendrick and many others. These people are experienced people when it comes to ensemble pieces, and they nail it here.

                      My favorite in the film was Matthew Morrison from TV's Glee. He plays Evan, a reality star who knocked up Jules (Diaz)-his dancing partner. As the main teacher, Will on Glee, Morrison is perfect. I was skeptical having never seen  him in anything except a small part in Dan In Real Life what he could do as one of the main actors in the film. Morrison, however proves to be very charming and witty here. As well, Ben Falcone who I have only seen in Bridesmaids as McCarthy's love interest proves to be even more likable here as Banks' husband. In fact, there was not a single character in this film I didn't like.

                        I haven't even gotten to the best part of the film yet. That is the "dudes group"- a group of unhappy dads with whom Alex (Rodrigo Santoro) is forced to meet up with. They are played by Rock, Lennon, Huebel, and Amar Talai of CBS' short running show The Ex List. This particular group of men are both funny and sweet because they love their kids but at the same time treat them like action figures. In the real world, of course this would never happen, but that's what make it so funny-the fact that this is so out there and ridiculous.

                      What To Expect When You're Expecting is based on a self help book-which is never a good sign. Also, it could have trimmed some of the fat-so to speak and kept us with the best plots rather than quickly bouncing from plot to plot. As well, the plots sometimes feel like they're trying to hard to connect. With all this being said-I enjoyed What To Expect When You're Expecting for what it is-an innocent romantic comedy whose target audience and even their boyfriends and husbands might enjoy.
(3 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, thematic elements, and language)

The Dictator Review

                          If you asked me on a day to day basis what my all time favorite comedies are, I would have to say Office Space, High Strung, Monty Python and The Holy Grail..and of course, Borat. Sacha Baron Cohen is one of my favorite comedic actors of all time. He has proved time and time again how funny he is. Whether it be in his own movies (Bruno, Borat, ETC) or in other people's movies (Hugo, Talladega Nights, ETC)..the guy makes it work every time. His newest film, The Dictator reunites him with director Larry Charles. Charles directed Cohen in by far his funniest film....Borat.

                          As you may be able to tell by the tone of my voice and my word choice...The Dictator, for me is some of Cohen's best work. Unlike most comedies nowadays (even the very funny ones) in which there are at least one or two dry spells in which I do not laugh for a good ten to fifteen minutes...The Dictator had me laughing consistently. Not even the cop comedy 21 Jump Street from earlier this year had me laughing as much as this film.

                         In it, Cohen plays an unruly dictator who gets replaced with a body double after losing his proof of power. The film is extremely funny before and after this happens, and although it is not for the easily offended..it proves to be some of Cohen's best work. In lesser hands this film would have never worked. However, director Charles, star Cohen, and screenwriters Cohen and Alec Berg (who has written 33 very strong Seinfeld episodes) manage to pack the film with clever jokes about politics, the economy, and plain ignorance of people.

                         The film also offers a wonderful supporting cast including the always reliable Anna Faris, the fantastic Ben Kingsley, and a brief but hilarious appearance by John C Reilly. As with classic satire such as Airplane and The Naked Gun..the jokes fly fast and furious and you have to pay attention to the visuals on screen in order to get many of the jokes. The best part about The Dictator, however is how it never runs out of steam. Unlike Will Ferrell's Spanish film Casa Di Me Padre which flopped earlier this year...The Dictator uses its short run time to an advantage. It's the perfect run time for a film like this, and there are some consistent gags that cracked me up every time but could have been tedious in a longer film.

                          Cohen has been promoting this film on an endless amount of talk shows and other television programs. For this reason, you may feel as if you have already seen The Dictator, but you have not. It is a rollicking farce that is made for those who don't mind tons of filth and crudeness in their humor.
(4 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for strong crude and sexual content, brief male nudity, language, and some violent images)
Footnote: Although I said this film was funnier than 21 Jump Street, I gave it the same rating due to the fact that The Dictator is not for everyone.

Chimpanzee Review

                                        Chimpanzee is a film about Oscar. The trailers make it look like it's a film about Oscar and Freddy. It is not. That part of the film does not happen until the last twenty minutes of the film. If you've stopped reading after this due to the fact that you no longer have interest in the film...I don't blame you.

                                        Chimpanzee is a film that is so boring that within the first 15 minutes..my eyes started to feel like being gouged out. Fortunately, due to the fact that they mislead me in the advertising..I didn't have to because I was waiting and waiting for the film to be emotional. The last twenty minutes are somewhat emotional..but not enough to save the film. The film is narrated by Tim Allen..who, despite being decent in a very few films...is not a good actor. Allen's show, Last Man Standing is one of the worst I've ever seen. Allen proves here that he is not a good narrator, either. His narration could be compared to that of frat boys who love each other, but have no real other friends. Allen obviously thinks that he is doing a fine job, but the audience begs to differ.

                                      The film also doesn't really go anywhere. We see Oscar's day to day life, but we never get any excitement. Even Scar-the villainous chimpanzee of the film is not exciting. Sure Scar is an evil guy who chases after Oscar's family, but he is not all that scary nor threatening. This may be due to the fact that the film is rated G..so they have to keep it family oriented. If they just rated it PG- it probably would have been a bit more exciting.

                                       Chimpanzee is boring, but not particularly terrible. It fails on almost all levels-but I respect its appropriate nature, but that only made it all the more disappointing. I would recommend the film to little kids, but not to anyone else.
(1 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated G, and contains nothing offensive)

Dark Shadows Review

                                 Dark Shadows is based on a soap opera from the 1960's. It's about Barnabus Collins, a vampire who wakes up after being cursed by a witch named Angelique. In this film, it's the 1970's, and Barnabus is indeed a fish out of water.

                                 Barnabus was originally played by Jonathan Frid, who died just a month ago. Here, Barnabus is played by Johnny Depp. The film is directed by Tim Burton. The last Depp-Burton production, Alice In Wonderland failed to impress me. There were no other Depp-Burton projects that I could say I hated..until now. Dark Shadows is one of the laziest efforts of all time. Burton, Depp and writer Seth Grahame-Smith all feel as if they're not even trying to do anything. Eva Green plays Angelique, and she is the only quasi-interesting character in the film. Chloe Grace Moretz, Jackie Earle Haley, Helena Bonham Carter, Jonny Lee Miller, and Michelle Pfeiffer all seem like they don't care. Why should they? The script was dead to begin with. All the "look how wacky the 70's was" jokes are all so obvious and dull.

                                 The trailers made the film look wacky and playful. Therein lies the problem. While the film does get progressively weirder as it goes along..it never feels like it's trying to be funny or even remotely entertaining. Perhaps it's also the fact that I threw down 18 dollars to see it in IMAX and there was not a single trace of why it needed to be in this format. I wouldn't have cared if the movie was completely serious but in order to do so..you need a good movie. This film does not have that.

                                 Dark Shadows is strange, but not good...at all. The whole cast and crew are being too lethargic and making it obvious that they don't care, and if the people involved in the making don't care-the audience can't care. As well, if the audience can't care-the audience can't enjoy the film. This is where Dark Shadows fails brilliantly.
(1/2 Star out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for comic horror violence, sexual content, some drug use, language, and smoking)

Monsieur Lazhar Review

                       Monsieur Lazhar starts out with the suicide of a teacher, and quickly transitions into the replacement of a new one. The movie is only about 90 minutes long, and I wish it was much longer. I wanted to see more of these characters. Despite having been nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, the new drama really got swept under the rug among the best picture nominees.

                     The replacement teacher in question is Bachir Lazhar. It's as if Robin Williams' John Keating was a French teacher at an elementary school rather than an American professor at a college. In fact, Mohamed Fallag's performance reminded me exactly of a less wacky Williams. While Bachir is a thoroughly compelling character-it's the kids that make the movie what it is. Every kid gets their moment to shine. None of these moments feel forced or cliche. These kids are also quite unpredictable. There is a scene that I choose not to give away, but I'll say that it involves a student who is more compelling than you thought he was.

                     The film also features an excellent range of emotions-it's funny, it's sad, it's touching. It's everything you look for in a movie of this kind. Everything in this film works-it's a charming little gem that deserves more people to see it. The film is also surprisingly exciting...it's a thrill to predict what Bachir is going to do next and where Bachir's life is going. As well, the second Bachir walks into the classroom and says that his name means "bearer of good news," we are completely engrossed by this man's methods and strategies of teaching.

                     There is much character development in Monsieur Lazhar, but none of these developments are from bad to good or vice versa. On the contrary, they are developments of the audience. We don't really acknowledge how magical these characters are until the movie is done, and when the movie is done, we applaud for what it has done to us.
(5 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, a disturbing image, and brief language)

Under The Radar Movie Review #3-Drive He Said

                            It's been a while since I have done an under the radar movie review. The reason being that I have not found a great, or even good movie to exemplify what the point of these reviews are. Drive He Said has finally been seen by yours truly, and it presents the very reason as to why I write about these older movies as well. The reason is that I want readers of mine to discover films that have yet to be discovered.

                           First-a bit of background regarding how I got to seeing this. In the area of Silver Spring, MD, there is a theater called the AFI Silver. It is a beautiful theater that shows older movies in categories. For example, Drive He Said was part of a Jack Nicholson retrospective in which I also got to see Five Easy Pieces. As it is, I plan to see 20 more films at this theater in the next month and a half, including more of Nicholson's films, some Peter Falk films, some Shirley MacLaine films, and some Studio Ghibli films. My point being that the first time I have seen this undiscovered classic..it was on a big screen in a huge theater. Not including the person I went with, there were only six other people in the theater and that is why I sit here writing to you-the reader to go see this film right now.

                           Now..onto the film. Drive He Said is a film about Hector (William Tepper), and his hippie friend, Gabriel (Michael Margotta). Hector is having an affair with Olive (Karen Black), and is being pushed by his basketball coach (Bruce Dern). The film follows both Hector's affair and Gabriel's over the top antics-both of which are equally fantastic. It is a film that perfectly portrays both our society today and society back then. We get to feel for these characters, and the film makes everyone more complex than meets the eye. Tepper never became anything, but this was an excellent performance by him. As well, Dern and Black are excellent as always. By far my favorite performance was Margotta, playing both wacky and complex very well. Drive He Said does feature many dated scenes. I personally enjoy watching dated stuff such as this. If you don't like dated films, don't see this film. It is also very trashy, which is an aspect I liked, but will offend many people, which would explain why it's an undiscovered gem. In fact, the film was originally rated X for male frontal nudity, but is now equivalent to that of an R. If you like your films trashy and dated (in other words, if you like movies such as Eegah, A Bucket Of Blood, and Dementia 13), then go see Drive He Said. If you don't like your films trashy and dated..then miss out on this wonderful gem of a film.

                        Drive He Said is not easily found on any format, but can be bought in The Criterion Collection's BBS Story collection, a box set that features six other excellent films such as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, and The Last Picture Show. The set is available on both DVD and Blu Ray, but it's about the same price for both, so if you like Blu Ray better (as do I), then I would suggest opting for that version.

The Lucky One Review

                                  I will have to preface my argument by saying that I am a male and I have enjoyed every other movie based on a Nicholas Sparks book. In fact..when I got "Notebooked", it was a magical experience for me. Without a doubt, though, is The Lucky One the dullest of the dull. It is so boring, in fact, that it was the closest I came to walking out of a theater in quite some time. There are no redeeming qualities at play here..there is nothing that works at all.

                                   Zac Efron plays Logan, a US Marine Corps soldier who finds a picture in a pile of dust that ultimately saves his life. He then proceeds to return home and find the woman whose picture it is. When he gets to the woman's house, he doesn't tell her and ends up falling in love with her instead. The woman is Beth (Taylor Schilling), who is estranged from her husband, Keith (Jay R Ferguson). No matter which way you slice it..this plot is creepy. Either Logan is destroying poor old Beth's life or is just using Beth to sleep with. Logan is a bad guy. Sure, he gets along with Beth's son, Ben (Riley Thomas Stewart), and he seems nice at first glance, but the fact that he can not just confess to Beth about the picture is cruel. Beth isn't that great herself. She is afraid of Logan (and rightfully so) but then sleeps with him. In what world..even the movie world does this make sense?

                                  These two are portrayed as the good guys while Keith is portrayed as the heavy. The movie also features a death. I won't say who the death is..but I feel as if the death was just tacked on for some emotional effect. It wasn't sad nor emotional, but rather just kind of lame. Efron and Schilling are terrible here. Ferguson, Stewart, and Blythe Danner as Beth's mother are all decent, but they can not save this sappy mess from being anything more than just another predictable romantic drama.
(1/2 Star out of 5, The film is rated PG-13 for some sexuality and violence)

The Salt Of Life Review

                             There is a scene very early in The Salt Of Life in which Giovanni (Gianna Di Gregorio) gets asked by his wife "what else he has to do" when he questions her about the errands she gives him. His response is then "nothing." This perfectly summarizes the film. Giovanni is a man who is unhappy even though he doesn't show it, and it is constantly referred to that he is miserable in this film.

                             The Salt Of Life is very funny, without giving us any real insight into life and other issues that should have been raised in this film. I liked the film...but I can not say it is a particularly realistic or insightful film. This movie had the potential to be great, and really misses the mark. The film is funny...but it doesn't quite reach the level of smart funny. This is what I really like in a comedy..when in can be smart and funny.

                              As well, the film is very disjointed in areas, giving us multiple plots that we don't care about and leading us away from the really important plot. Di Gregorio is good here...giving us facial expressions that tell us what words can't, and the supporting cast is alright, I suppose, although they don't do that much to elevate the film. The film drags on for a bit too long, also. Even at the short length of 90 minutes..it feels like perhaps they could have severely edited it to make it more commendable and less confusing.

                                The Salt Of Life follows Giovanni on his quests to do the most mundane, everyday tasks, and I enjoyed this. However, if it does not make me want to see it again or anything. The film does end on a perfect note..not exactly telling us what the final line of the film asks, but rather leaving it up to us. I usually don't like these types of endings, but for some reason..it worked very well here. If only The Salt Of Life worked as well for the rest of the film.
(3 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is Not Rated, but contains many adult situations and is equivalent to that of an R)

Marvel's The Avengers Review

                              Marvel's The Avengers is a film that needs to be seen to be believed. It is a film of true beauty, humor, and suspense. I will not fully be able to tell you how much I loved this film..no matter how much I write in this review. The tagline for the film is "some assembly required..." that is far from the truth. Writer/Director Joss Whedon brings us a humorous and suspenseful time at the movies. Whedon never goes for the cheap shots. He brings us a truly marvelous (pun intended) film.

                             The film follows The Avengers as they suit up to take down Loki (Tom Hiddleston)....Thor (Chris Hemsworth)'s brother. Then there's Tony Stark aka Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and, of course their leader...Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson). This is the great thing about this film. These are not eye candy actors, but rather experienced actors who know what they're doing and give us excellent chemistry and great dialogue. As well, everyone gets their moment to shine, and none of these moments feel forced in the slightest.

                              However, the credit can not be given all to the actors and Whedon. Zak Penn was the main writer on this. He directed Incident At Lochness and The Grand. Here, along with Whedon, he gives us the most fantastically written film you'll ever see. The film is realistic in its situations, and the two and a half hour running time feels completely necessary as everything in this film is 100 percent needed.

                               Marvel's The Avengers also features excellent uses of 3D and IMAX. IMAX has impressed me in the past, but I'm usually not one to want to see a movie in 3D. The 3D here is fantastic, though. It makes the film even more beautiful than it already is. Don't be afraid to throw down the extra four bucks because the 3D is worth far more than that.
 
                       Marvel's The Avengers has been getting hyped up for around two years now, and unlike the recent The Hunger Games, this film lives up to that hype. Even if you don't like superhero films....this film is so much more about superheroes, and even you will be likely to enjoy it.
(5 out of 5 Stars...The film is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, and a mild drug reference)

The Raven Review

                                 I remember watching the Vincent Price-Boris Karloff version of The Raven for the first time in theaters. Sure, it was cheesy, but it was a strangely entertaining film. The fact that the Price-Karloff version of The Raven is strangely entertaining is the only thing that the John Cusack-Luke Evans version of The Raven has in common with that one. The Cusack-Evans version is more grim and serious, but possesses a strange, pulpy charm in all the mystery and lack of suspense. By no means is this (completely different) version of The Raven a good film..just an entertaining one.

                                  Before I mislead some with comparing the two...I will say that these two films have completely different plots. The '63 version was based upon the writing by Edgar Allen Poe while the 2012 version is a film about people getting killed by Poe's works. The one thing that I can say is legitimately excellent about the film is that Poe was no doubt a genius, and this film happily gives us that insight. However, at the same time, we get many scenes that are pedantic and overdone due to the fact that the filmmakers knew Poe was a genius. As well, the fact that Poe was a genius seemed to be the only thing that director James McTeigue and screenwriters Ben Livingston and Hannah Shakespeare knew about Poe. Also, McTeigue takes his time with the pace...so if you don't like your films on the slow side..stay away from this one.

                                  The film also features a pretty good performance from Cusack, which at times, feels like it could have been a brilliant performance. The rest of the cast, including Luke Evans as a detective and Alice Eve as Emily, Poe's love interest are terrible to say the least. As well, Brandon Gleeson as Captain Hamilton is not too good, either. In fact, if it weren't for Cusack's performance, The Raven might have been a cobbled mess. As it stands..it's a movie with a good twist and entertaining execution, but it's not something I can really recommend.
(2 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for bloody violence and grisly images)

The Island President Review

                                  You can look long and hard-you will never find someone as uninterested in the environment as me. It's not that I hate this thing..it's that sitting down and having a stimulating, intellectual conversation about it is not my cup of tea.  In fact, I can't stand the fact that the subject of Environmental Science is taught in some school systems. The Island President is about politician and Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed, and deals with his views on the environmental crisis.

                                   There's nothing quite like being surprised by a film, and call me a liar if I say that The Island President didn't surprise the hell out of me. Nasheed is a passionate man, and this film explores him down to the smallest opinions that swim around in his mind. The film engrosses you from the first second to the last...making you believe that Nasheed will be able to solve the environmental crisis. The film mainly revolves around the fact that The Maldives is an island, and if nothing gets solved with the environmental..all islands will be underwater.

                                   The film plays out more like a thriller than that of a documentary....making us totally scared for The Maldives, and yet giving us hope. The film can also be enjoyed by just about anyone. Even if you're not interested in this stuff, it's enthralling enough to entertain the masses.

                               Nasheed once said "I refuse to believe that it is too late, and that we cannot do any better." This proves his passion, and shows what kind of man he is. There's nothing I like more than a man with wishes and dreams. The Island President is a truly remarkable documentary, and one that needs to be seen so that people can learn more about the world we live in.
(5 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG for thematic elements, some violent content, and smoking)

Sound Of My Voice Review

                         As with Cabin In The Woods, I choose not to talk about the plot at all as it will let you have more fun. I will say, however, that Sound Of My Voice is by far my favorite film of 2012 so far. Yes..it is even more brilliant than Cabin In The Woods. The film is well acted, well directed, and completely engrossing. The film takes you to places that you never expect. In fact, the twist ending will practically make you faint from surprise.

                       Christopher Denham, Brit Marling, and Nicole Vicius are all phenomenal here as the three main characters, and if you have not seen the trailer yet..keep it that way. The trailer tells you all about the plot, and while there's more to it than meets the eye...you should still go in not knowing anything. The film can not be discussed without talking about the killer performance from Brit Marling. I did not like Another Earth, Marling and crew's previous effort. In fact, I found Marling pretty annoying in that film. Marling is fantastic here. She gives a creepy and thoroughly convincing performance. Between Marling, Denham, and Vicius, I thought I was watching real people.

                       Unlike Another Earth, this film has a realistic plot and amazing execution. Another Earth was bland in its execution and gave us a dumb plot. Another Earth also gave us a blunt and obvious ending. Sound Of My Voice has a thought provoking and smart ending. The ending does not tell us exactly what happened or why what we saw happen happened, but it is all the more great for that. You, as with I, will be thinking about this ending for weeks to come. The film also gives its audience many uncomfortable scenes without making us cringe. By this I mean that we are disturbed by the stuff that goes on in this film, but we are so engrossed that we forget that the stuff happening in despicable. Sound Of My Voice is an amazing film. All other films this year pale in comparison. Yes...even Cabin In The Woods has nothing on this gem.
(5 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for language including some sexual references and brief drug use)