Limitless

Oh, what drug is this? Sounds cool. I want to try it. But it's not really a mind-altering drug. It just enhances the neural connections in your brain. Or something like that. Anyway, I'd prefer psychedelics over this any day.

The universe in pill form.

Sadly, Robert De Niro's roles are always confined to grumpy old men. Is it maybe because he is a grumpy old man? Maybe. But I really should be getting used to his performances by now. I can't expect him to be as versatile as he was when he played Vito Corleone. Although he was great in Stardust, I'll give him that.

The classic Robert De Niro I-don't-give-a-fuck face.

Abbie Cornish, you look like Nicole Kidman. Really. I think it's because you're both Aussie.

Nicole Kidman, Jr.

Finally, to end on an anti-drug note, I don't need something like this drug to be happy. All I need is my brain in Bradley Cooper's body. Once you get that combination, the possibilities are limitless.

"Hey, my brain's okay, you know."

Limitless. USA. 2011.


Ratiing: Seven and a half out of ten.
Lack of Abbie Cornish sex scenes: Minus half a point.
Final rating: Seven out of ten.



*some info from IMDb
pics from VLC

Sucker Punch Awards

This is another pseudo-review.

All those who didn't like Sucker Punch, please raise your hands. Okay, what were your problems with it? Too much eye candy? You could actually tell that from the poster, so it's your fault you chose to watch this over Justin Bieber's movie. What's that? Too much action? Again, you could've watched Justin Bieber. Come again? You didn't like the story? Let's clarify. Did you not like the story, or did you not get the story? Either way, Justin Bieber.

Anyway, let me just shut myself up and start with the review, where I shall be handing out awards like...

Best Action Sequence

Not pictured: Action.
Also not pictured: Germans.

The German trenches

I love World War II. Although technically, this takes place in a World War I trench, but, whatever, right? And I hate Germans, because of their racist, white supremacy bullcrap. I also hate zombies, because... they're zombies. So this sequence is perfect. It's like a Steampunk version of A Very Long Engagement.

Sucker Punch

There was a ridiculous amount of hype for Sucker Punch. It was inevitable, with such a gorgeous, scantily clad cast, and Zach Snyder at the helm.

Then the bad reviews started rolling in and with 80% of my Blondie costume done, you can't blame a gal for being a little anxious. But you know what? The critics can suck it. I enjoyed Sucker Punch.

Emily Browning's character, Babydoll, is institutionalized by her stepfather and is scheduled for a lobotomy in five days. She retreats into her mind and has these dream-within-a-dream fantasies about finding a way to escape with the help of four other inmates: Rocket (Jenna Malone), Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens) and Amber (Jamie Chung).

Yes, the film’s strongest point is that it’s just so visually stunning (And I’m not just talking about Abbie Cornish. Oh, Abbie. Make an honest woman out of me. ♥), but the core of it had potential. The plot and character development were a little lacking, but I think that was mostly due to the scenes they cut out to get the rating down from an R to a PG-13. I’m hoping they come out with a director’s cut because I’m insanely curious about that scene with Jon Hamm and the Burlesque stage numbers that they edited out.

The soundtrack is absolutely amazing. Emily Browning does a hauntingly beautiful cover of "Sweet Dreams" that you should watch out for, and the songs they used for the fight scenes just made everything so much more bad-ass.

Sucker Punch's biggest fault is that it was over-hyped. Forget the hype. It's a fun movie (up to the second half which I can't explain without spoiling) that's an odd-but-kinda-works combination of girl-power and a fanboy's wet dream.




You may also want to check out the other Sucker Punch reviews from Claire and Sting Lacson.

A Good Year

Okay, this might be a not-so-recent film, but the title is just so appropriate for New Year's Day that I couldn't resist.

First of all, categorizing this film is a bit difficult. It's classified as a romantic comedy, but it's not really a rom-com as we know it. It's more a feel-good film than anything.

Anyway, the movie is so typically predictable that I don't even want to touch on that aspect. So let's just go over the film's finer points, starting with the acting. Okay, it's Russell Crowe. Let's move on. No, seriously, let's move on. When I say "Russell Crowe," you don't need any explanations. So who else is there?

Well, there's pretty Marion Cotillard (that's a pre-Oscar Marion Cotillard) as Russell Crowe's love interest. We all know she's a wonderful actress, but her accent is distracting, as it can turn me on even with my eyes closed (did I just say that?). And there's the beautiful Aussie Abbie Cornish (with a flawless Yankee accent), whose minor character doesn't grace the screen as much (well this is, after all, Russell's movie). Wait, now come to think of it, it does seem that everyone else's screen time pales in comparison to Mr. Crowe's.

The cinematography is first-class, making the entire film look like a travel magazine, showcasing the breathtaking beauty of the French countryside, with all the vineyards and picturesque chateaus. Well, it's Ridley---sorry, Sir Ridley Scott---at the helm, which means you can be assured that the film will be something worth watching. With a predictable plot and a story you could tell in thirty minutes, Sir Ridley kicks in great cinematography with his brilliant directing to give us a film that will at least keep us entertained for two hours.

And the final verdict: Sure, Russell Crowe performs up to par, but still, if it wasn't Sir Ridley Scott behind the wheel, the whole movie would've turned out quite differently.


Rating: Seven out of ten.