Lady In The Water

Director - M. Night Shyamalan

Genre - Fantasy/Mystery/Thriller

The lady should have just remained in the water. Then we wouldn't have had to watch this pretentious, ego-stroking movie. And if Shyamalan (casting himself in a substantial part) can act then Quentin Tarantino deserves a Best Actor Oscar. Paul Giamatti plays a droll maintenance guy who discovers a water nymph emerging from the pool of an apartment building where he lives and works. Cue Neil Gaiman-type fable with heaps of talking and hogwash. The film was also so gravely discordant with being coherent as a storytelling device that we wound up feeling frightfully concerned for Shyamalan's directorial future.

0 STAR!

All about Lady In The Water

Wanted

Director - Timur Bekmambetov

Genre - Action/Thriller

Story: Wimp stuck in a cubicle learns he belongs to a fraternity of assassins. To say that director Timur Bekmambetov has a unique visual style is an understatement. As evidenced in 'Night Watch' and 'Day Watch', he is to the action genre what David Blaine is to the art of magic. Pulling off never before attempted eye-popping special effects with such ease they almost seem to come out of thin air, Bekmambetov may well be action cinema's second coming. All of which seem such a shame really because its wings of immaculate promise were fatally clipped in the god-awful ending, crushing all our hopes along with it.

2.5 STARS!

All about Wanted

Jackie Brown

Director - Quentin Tarantino

Genre - Crime/Drama/Thriller

A marriage of perfect harmony between two artists well-versed in crime fiction. Elmore Leonard's nail-biting, ass-clenching moments habitually found in his entertaining paperbacks are visually realized here in all its potent glory. As always, the words from a Leonard creation fires on all cylinders, taking no prisoners. The story of an over the hill stewardess who takes on a last ditch attempt at a score gone increasingly complicated is consequentially more dire than the rest of QT's works.

4.5 STARS!

All about Jackie Brown

Superbad

Director - Greg Mottola

Genre - Comedy

This film from producer Judd Apatow, the reigning King Midas of comedy, consists of two halves. The first half is stuffed to the point of popping buttons (like Pam Anderson's robust twins in a baby tee) with jokes so well-written we wanted to run through town telling everyone. The crusade of three friends to copulate before the school year ends while being vulgar to the bone is also remarkably earnest and sweet-natured, traits which are eternally etched on Michael Cera's face. The second half however runs out of lubricant...err...steam. You either 'McLovin' it, or you don't.

3.5 STARS!

All about Superbad

Sleuth

Director - Kenneth Branagh

Genre - Comedy/Drama/Mystery/Thriller

Michael Caine and Jude Law have a go at each other in this economical thriller performed only by the aforementioned actors. Sparring with words and wit in a life and death battle of masochistic malevolence, this is a precarious match played for keeps. Caine stars as a well to do crime author and Law is the chap who has been playing 'Hide the Salami' with the former's wife. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, it is stripped of most of the trappings associated with conventional thrillers, leaving us one which can only be made by an actor.

3.5 STARS!

All about Sleuth

Mulholland Drive

Director - David Lynch

Genre - Drama/Mystery/Thriller

Arguably Lynch's best work to date. Sensual, thrilling and downright mind-bending, this is Lynch at the height of his artistry. The precise music, plot and acting all come together to form a cinematic dream that only Lynch can conjure. Naomi Watts's meticulously timed emotions as her character goes through various changes is truly an amazing thing to watch.

5 STARS!

All about Mulholland Drive

Park Chan-Wook's THIRST (박쥐)

Park Chan-Wook's vampire tale 'Thirst' (박쥐) has been grabbed by Universal Pictures and Focus Features, reports Variety. The film, which is already in production, has so far been run by Korean major CJ Entertainment but the two are hopping on board to invest and co-finance. This vampire tale stars Kim Ok-Bi (Dasepo Naughty Girls) as the leading lady and also co-stars Song Kang-Ho (The Host) and Shin Ha-Kyun (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance). The producers hope to get it completed and ready for a festival premiere in mid-2009, which is right around the time that the Cannes Film Festival takes place.

Plot Concept: The film is about a priest who participates in a medical experiment to find a cure for a deadly disease with traumatic repercussions.

Source from Mania.

Trailer for 'Sad Dream'

Here's the trailer for Kim Ki-Duk's latest movie 'Sad Dream' (Bi-mong, [비몽]) starring Lee Na-Young and Japanese actor Joe Odagiri. Visit here for its latest poster.

All About Lily Chou-Chou

Director - Shunji Iwai

Genre - Crime/Drama/Music/Thriller

Shunji Iwai's films not only feel like poetry visualized on screen, they are extensions of his very soul and being. In this story, a sensitive boy's only escape from his nightmarish existence in which school bullies take it out on him on a daily basis is when he listens to the soothing sounds of Lily Chou-Chou. The music married astutely with entrancing, pretty images in this Iwai film will grab you like a perfumed scent applied lightly on a sensuous neck of a woman.

4 STARS!

All about All About Lily Chou-Chou

Crows Zero

Director - Takashi Miike

Genre - Action/Comedy

Posturing and glaring. This inane film by Takashi Miike is bursting at the seams with posturing and glaring, all in a hackneyed attempt at being cool. A school without lessons or teachers exists in this manga-adapted story, wherein students brawl for fame and respect. It isn't kung fu either, just mostly fist-fighting without rhyme or reason. At least if it's martial arts, Muay-Thai or kickboxing we'd understand. Strictly for the manga-obsessed fraternity. We'd rather be knitting or playing Jenga.

2 STARS!

All about Crows Zero

Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle

Director - Werner Herzog

Genre - Biography/Crime/Drama

Based on a true story of a person held in captivity since young, without any contact with the rest of civilization. Mysteriously released by his captor one fateful day, he is forced to cope with society. It's a little like 'The Elephant Man', but this being a Werner Herzog film, you know all bets are off. Herzog had an actual, mentally-challenged person (Bruno S.) play the naive invalid, catapulting his film into a heightened, intensified search for truth and meaning.

4 STARS!

All about Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle

Vantage Point

Director - Pete Travis

Genre - Drama/Thriller

The President of United States is shot at in an appearance on Spanish soil and this fictitious incident is then tracked by multiple flashbacks and fast-forwards to find the reasons why. All these happen in the space of a day, some say echoing the series '24'. Without having seen a single episode of the series, we're not able to confirm or refute this. What we do attest to is that this high-adrenaline film gives truckloads of political action thrillers which came before it a swift, proverbial kick in the ass.

3.5 STARS!

All about Vantage Point

Sunshine

Director - Danny Boyle

Genre - Adventure/Sci-Fi/Thriller

This movie by Danny Boyle is a complete disappointment. The sun is dying and a group of scientists are sent to re-ignite it. What is this? 'Armageddon 2'? There are some nice shots here of the sun which is treated like a god-like entity for some reason but the rest of the film is just too cliched and melodramatic. Michelle Yeoh's portrayal of a plant-loving scientist deserves singling out for being one of the most annoying characters ever in movies. Overlong, overcooked and overly pretentious.

2 STARS!

All about Sunshine

Snatch

Director - Guy Ritchie

Genre - Comedy/Crime/Thriller

Tonnes of good old laddish fun awaits you in this second feature from Madonna's main man. Roping in Brat Pitt and Benicio Del Toro for star power, Guy Ritchie once again takes us into his 'tough as nails' world of the nastiest and most incorrigible scoundrels. His style here is still as blazing hot as in his debut and there are some really inventive shots throughout. Brat Pitt as usual plays his role with relish, transforming himself into not only a Brit, but a gypsy Brit complete with authentic accent!

4 STARS!

All about Snatch

Before Sunset

Director - Richard Linklater

Genre - Drama/Romance

Richard Linklater continues the story he left off in 'Before Sunrise'. There's a sense that we are watching something treasured here because we know the characters so well. The script by Linklater is marvelous and the chemistry, sexual tension and drama between Hawke and Delpy's characters seem so real you can almost touch it. Totally absorbing and a testament to Linklater's brilliance.

5 STARS!

All about Before Sunset

Before Sunrise

Director - Richard Linklater

Genre - Drama/Romance

Sometimes the simplest meal can be as satisfying or better than an elaborate one. The ingredients of this film are two actors, a good script and beautiful location. There's basically no plot, just a man and a woman having real conversations and falling in love. Somehow, that in itself is a treat because it feels authentic. It helps that both the leads are charming too.

5 STARS!

All about Before Sunrise