CLOSER

CLOSER 10 DECEMBER 2004

Director: Mike Nichols

Writers: Patrick Marber

Cast: Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Clive Owen, Julia Roberts

In London, the new arrival Alice Ayres meets the mediocre obituary journalist Daniel and they move together. Dan writes a book, inspired in the life of Alice and while photographing for the release of the book, he meets the photographer Anna. Dan introduces the dermatologist Larry to Anna, and they get married. However, Dan and Anna have a passionate affair, complicating the relationship of the couples,

This movie is about four people who richly deserve on another. The four lives that contort to become closer end up further apart, and in immense pain. It isn’t the kind of film just any audience would enjoy. The film features complex sexual and relationship themes that might leave some viewers cold. This movie with those four characters makes us think deeply about what is true love. Moreover, the unique thing in this movie is that the characters do not understand each other, or themselves. They know how to go through the motions of pushing the right buttons, and how to pretend their buttons have been pushed, but we still can ask if they do truly experience anything at all except their own pleasure.

One more thing you can enjoy with movie is the music which is one of my favorites. The song ‘The Blower’s Daughter’ is used twice in the movie to express the pain and confusion of love. I hope at least you guys listen the song with short clip of the movie if you don’t have enough time to watch the movie.

PEARL HARBOR

PEARL HARBOR  May 21 2001

 

★★★★☆

Director: Michael Bay
Writer: Randall Wallace

Cast: Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale

Running time: 183 minutes

Pearl Harbor is a classic tale of romance set during a war that complicates everything. It all starts when childhood friends Rafe and Danny become Army Air Corps pilots and meet Evelyn, a Navy nurse. Rafe falls head over heels and next thing you know Evelyn and Rafe are hooking up. Then Rafe volunteers to go fight in Britain and Evelyn and Danny get transferred to Pearl Harbor. While Rafe is off fighting everything gets completely whack and next thing you know everybody is in the middle of an air raid we now know as "Pearl Harbor."

With a theme that mixes war, love, and glory and the multitude of impressive dogfights and battle sequences, there's plenty to keep people seated through the 3-hour film.
After watching this film with my best friends, I was intrigued to learn that we all came away with similar reasons to applaud the movie and similar reservations as well. This is interesting to note because my friends prefer dramas, love stories, and I like anything that gives me an excuse to sip soda. So, no matter what you look for in a film, you will probably note these observations as well.

THE PROFESSIONAL

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Director: Luc Besson

Writer: Luc Besson

Cast: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman,

Running Time: 110min

 

 

Mathilda, a twelve-year old New York girl, is living an undesirable life among her half-family. Her father stores drugs for two-faced cop Norman Stansfield. Only her little brother keeps Mathilda from breaking apart. One day, Stansfield and his team take cruel revenge on her father for stretching the drugs a little, thus killing the whole family. Only Mathilda, who was out shopping, survives by finding shelter in Léon's apartment in the moment of highest need. Soon, she finds out about the strange neighbour's unusual profession - killing - and desperately seeks his help in taking revenge for her little brother. Léon, who is completely unexperienced in fatherly tasks, and in friendships, does his best to keep Mathilda out of trouble - unsuccessfully. Now, the conflict between a killer, who slowly discovers his abilities to live, to feel, to love and a corrupt police officer, who does anything in his might to get rid of an eye witness, arises to unmeasurable proportions - all for the sake of a little twelve-year old girl, who has nearly nothing to lose.

This movie was funny, tragic and unmissable because the chemistry between actress Natalie Portman and Reno were great. . I thought that the idea of having a 12 year old wanting to become a "cleaner" was an interesting idea for the plot, and it worked marvelously well. The two main characters are a recently-orphaned girl who is wise beyond her years and a hitman who is still an innocent. Their relationship unfolds against a backdrop of murder and revenge as director Luc Besson explores issues of age and maturity, good and evil, and the interplay of life, death and love.

This movie has a message: without love we are dead, even if we don't see it. Only true love give meaning to our lives: "everything else reminds me a big yogurt: warm and rancid" as Mathilda says in the movie. Is this true in "real life"? I don't know but this movie can make us wonder.

The main thing you need to focus in this movie is Leon tries to keep his emotions completely suppressed, yet Matilda (in an extraordinary performance by a young Natalie Portman, who is destined to become a very powerful actress into her adult life) brings out in him a new-found joy for life that accompanies his growing paternal instincts.

I have spent more time re-watching various scenes and noticing all the perfection with which they are acted and directed. This film was absolutely amazing

MEMENTO

Memento 25 August 2001

★★★★★

Director : Christopher NolanWriter : Christopher NolanCast : Guy Pearce, Carrie Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano
Running time : 113min

This movie is chronicles two separated stories of Leonard, an ex insurance, investigator who can  no longer build new memories, as he attempts to find the murder of his life, which is the last thing he remember. He is struggling to put his life back together after the brutal rape and murder of his wife. 
One story line moves forward in time while the other tells the story backwards revealing more each time.

With this movie, we begin at the end, and work our way back toward the beginning, because the story is told backward. I think it's really unique and brilliant idea, because it makes us think and follow the story line by actually paying attentions.
Movie like this must be so hard to write, film and edit. It was of telling a story is very effective and gets viewers to feel like themselves  have to sold the mystery.
It is well written and its probably my favorite movie of all Christopher Nolan films

One more thing, here is a my favorite quote from the movie 

Leonard : "My wife deserves vengeance. Doesn't make any difference whether i know about it. Just because there are things i don't remember doesn't make any actions meaningless"