Midnight in Paris

"Love the sort of Van Goh poster"
a.k.a "The title card is too simple (not that I'm complaining)"

While vacationing in Paris with his fiancée Inez (Rachel McAdams), Hollywood screenwriter Gil (Owen Wilson) falls in love with the city and dreams of, in his opinion, its golden age in the 1920s. Drunk and lost on his way back to his hotel, the city clock strikes 12 and Gil rides a vintage car to the era he loves in the city he adores. That's when the rest of the movie begins, the romance flourishes, and the smiles chime in.

"A scene to tease and to deceive. Why? Watch."
a.k.a. "A kiss is always a good start to a movie"

Like Before Sunrise (also a love story set in Europe) or Vicky Cristina Barcelona (also written and directed by Woody Allen, but less whimsical than this one), the movie carries the same tone all three movies share—very spontaneous and carefree. But while it's a love story on many levels, it's also a fantasy adventure, kind of a time-traveling, self-reflection story of a guy who seeks more in life.

"I said "more in life". not more girls in life" a.k.a "Owen is one lucky guy"
(left: with Marion Cotillard); right: with Lea Seydoux)

Part of the mystique is having world-renowned artists and literary giants portrayed by current actors. If you paid attention during your art and literature classes, you'll spot them easily and get their drift and the narrative slightly better than those who flunked the subject.

"Star-studded cast both past and current" a.k.a. "The only few I know"
Clockwise from top left: The Fritzgeralds (Alison Pill, Tom Hiddleston), Hemingway (Corey Stoll),
Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates), Picasso (Marcial Di Fonzo Bo), and Dali (Adrien Brody)

I love how all the movie's themes cut across time, also proving that old school can still be relevant in this day and age. Plus, to be so taken by the breathtaking sights of Paris—spectacular yet not very tourist-y, as Allen captured it—is always a pleasure. The film's premise and story is simple but profound, yet such a breeze to watch. And if you don't take with you romance or lessons, you should have at least bagged a good, genuine smile.


Midnight in Paris gets a seven-point-five out of ten for giving us a very timeless upgrade: romance with a hint of modern and a dash of nostalgia in the city of love.




*movie poster from apercucinephilia.wordpress.com; screencaps courtesy of VLC

(My Two Cents on) Splice

I admit that I just watched this movie because there were no other movies to watch. I was quite hesitant to watch this flick because I already kinda knew (based on the trailer alone) what will happen. And I wasn't wrong. This film really didn't leave me feelin' satisfied.

Personal feelings aside, I think this film just had one main theme. Reproduction. Or in layman's terms...SEX!

I also had the feeling that I was robbed. That's because as I've said in the beginning of this rant that I already knew what was comin' even before I witnessed the movie. It was just about "splicing" genes, that's it! They're sorta like mixing and matching human and animal DNA/RNA (whatever!) to create a new specie. The only thing that I didn't know about was that they're actually trying to synthesize or create a new protein that could battle certain diseases.

Another "robbing" factor of this movie is the fact that it was for 2009. Or if you look on the internet, it would say "Splice (2009)". And it's already past the midway point of 2010. I should've just watched it on DVD. Too bad I don't have that option right now.

Just to get that "robbed" feeling away, I had to convince myself that I was sorta entertained by everything. I didn't realize that Sarah Polley (who was Elsa Kast in the movie) has a li'l hotness in her. Now why the fuck did I not find that "li'l hotness" in her back in Dawn Of The Dead when she still looks virtually the same anyway?!?

Adrien Brody still looks like Raymond Bagatsing IMHO. He also looks geeky (perfect for his scientist role here). That is I think the "geeky hotness" that some females are looking for.

And I just want to add something completely irrelevant to the film. The lady who played Dren (a.k.a. "The New Specie") named Delphine Chaneac looks a lot like that chick FHM model who lives here in our subdivision named Jane Montemayor.






Being the Russian judge on this one, I give Splice a 5.5 out of a 10.



*images from IMDb and Jane Montemayor's personal Facebook account.