Kerenblog

Have you ever seen a film that you felt like most of the things in the film was a totally been-there-done-that experience of your life? �Lady Bird� is that kind of film. Another coming-of-age indie film that achieves to be a shoo-in for this year�s award season, �Lady Bird� brings a very familiar sensation of growing up as a teenager, specifically as a high-school student applying for college, experiencing first love, and (especially) having a hard time with your mother. read more �

Have I written about CHEF here? Not yet? Well, I should have because it feels that for me BEGIN AGAIN is as joyous as CHEF. I love how filmmakers use music to enliven their films, and John Carney (the guy that brought you the romantic-musical ONCE) did it wonderfully in this latest feature. From the story only, BEGIN AGAIN is not perfect, but the use of surprisingly easy-listening songs make it more enjoyable to watch. read more �

You know, I�m trying to figure out which snapshots of THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL I should include in this post because I just can�t decide which. Or should I just make a GIF (a slideshow, perhaps) from the entire movie? Truthfully, I have only see two Wes Anderson �s pics: MOONRISE KINGDOM and THE DARJEELING LIMITED �plus one short film: HOTEL CHEVALIER ). They were mostly a hit-and-miss experience in spite of Wes Anderson�s mastery on art direction. Now, his brand new THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, for me, is a 100-minute of eye-gasmic experience so mesmerizing you don�t have the need to think about its artificially quirky story at all. read more �

There is a fine line between being funny and being gross. But when it comes to talking about the lengthy-titled comedy BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN (or BORAT for short), the line eventually blurs. Spontaneous, controversial, sharp, and far-fetched, BORAT is the most jaw-dropping way to make fun of countries, both of others and yours. read more �

I know it might seem silly but to be honest I�ve watched �Mary and Max� twice around this week and it keeps me sobbing. LOL. I mean, I never watched a clay animation so rich with insights from two innocent characters whose names belong to the film�s title�Mary and Max�while at the same time describes loneliness so powerful due to their unique point of view about life. This is the kind of film you should watch when you�re alone (or lonely), and it will invite you into an emotional up-and-down ride with both laughs and tears. read more �

Why should a film about porn addiction shows a lot of footage from real porn videos? The first ten minutes of �Don Jon� , Joseph Gordon-Levitt �s directorial and screenwriting debut, is half porn for both real porn clips inserted and many of his half naked body (and while he showed so many of his bare chest, we won�t see any of Scarlett Johansson �s bare breasts, LOL). Dynamic, interesting, young, but weakly written, �Don Jon� is too proud of being a study of a porn addict. read more �

This post is written as part of the series "the films of... Joel Coen and Ethan Coen" . Like you might have wondered, the word Arizona in the title refers to two things: the baby�s name and one of the US states. And, yes, in �Raising Arizona� , the duo auteurs are playing with babies. This is a comedy that�I can say�guarantees that you�re gonna laughing, even if there are (always) subtle philosophical messages in it. It is light, if not foolish, comedy that you can enjoy without having too much of a thinking. read more �

This post is written as part of the series "the films of... Joel Coen and Ethan Coen" So we�ll encounter another kind of films by Joel and Ethan Coen ; something that experts would refer as a screwball comedy, although I don�t really understand what it means. Whatever term they use, you can easily tell that �The Hudsucker Proxy� is a distinguished comedy, especially by seeing how different the dialog and the actings are. But, difference does not always offer a good return: �The Hudsucker Proxy� is a big flop at the time it was released, perhaps because it feels like an overdone tease�at least for me. read more �

This review is written as part of the series "the films of... Joel Coen and Ethan Coen" When receiving his Oscar for winning Best Adapted Screenplay for "No Country for Old Men", Joel Coen jokingly said, " "I think whatever success we've had in this area has been entirely attributable to how selective we are--we've only adapted Homer and Cormac McCarthy." Cormac McCarthy is, of course, the author of the novel from which the Coens adapted into "No Country", but Homer? "The Odyssey" by the greatest Greek poet is indeed listed as the work adapted by the Coens for "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", but the fact is, they have never really read it. It has just inspired them. read more �

Why live when you can rule? The freshest, Sundance-entry coming-of-age �The Kings of Summer� by director Jordan Vogt-Roberts and writer Chris Galletta is kinda reminding me of Wes Anderson �s �Moonrise Kingdom� or Rob Reiner �s �Stand By Me� , except that we are having three teenage boys looking for freedom. It was a sweet escape, both for them and for the viewers, and however shallow and superficial the plan turns out to be, it�s still a journey of fun to get through for one and a half hour of duration. read more �

This film is a real fun. What can you expect from a crime or gangster movie, beside its American-styled jokes and characters? �Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels� has all of them, except that it comes from United Kingdom. Director Guy Ritchie wrote a story that connects four friends, weed sellers, gangsters, debt collectors, and loan sharks with lots of British punchlines, bleak jokes, and�the most interesting�accents in a very interesting approach. read more �

Everything starts like a "normal" drama. Carol (Eileen Davies) does not like Chris (Steve Oram) for some reasons. That's why, when her daughter Tina (Alice Lowe) decides to go on a romantic trip with him, Carol does not seem agree with the idea. But they have been a good couple and they have prepared for the trip, so they still execute the plan anyway. read more �

I didn�t expect �Spring Breakers� more than just a film of four college girls hanging around at parties only in bikinis, just like what is seen from the trailer. But, recently some fellow-bloggers positively received it, and it eventually makes me a bit more interested in seeing �Spring Breakers�. It is clear that this is not a special film, but still it�s a quite fresh and surprisingly thoughtful film to be enjoyed in this summer. read more �

You know, there are certain movies that are actually just so-so, but because they matched your mood when you're watching it, they turned to be so enthralling. "A Serious Man" is probably like that. One of a few indie movies by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen , "A Serious Man" needs you to be open-minded before starting watching it. There are plenty of references about Jew in this movie, but with the help of tidy screenplay, nice directing, and good performances by the cast, everyone could easily capture the big idea of this movie�which is so heart-pleasing. read more �

I actually don�t plan to watch �Madre� because, well, recently this Dewi �Dee� Lestari novel-to-movie adaptation is just way too much. We have seen �Perahu Kertas� part 1 and part 2 , �Rectoverso� , and now comes �Madre�. Actually �Madre� is based on a novelet, not a novel. I haven�t read it (actually I barely have read all her works), but I always come up to this conclusion that it takes an extra effort to adapt her works into movies. Because, well, it is not an easy job to describe her ability of word-playing into a visual entertainment. �Perahu Kertas� part 1 is good, �Perahu Kertas� part 2 is okay, �Rectoverso� is below average, and �Madre�... well just read more to know my opinion about it. read more �

There are certain movies that interest you not just because of the story, but more because of the roles and the acting of the actors. �The Devil Wears Prada� is one of them. I won�t say that the story is not interesting at all, but I appreciate it more because of the performance of the leading and supporting actors. Especially, the living legend Meryl Streep in this movie! I don�t know, but she truly is the one that attracted me most and, although on the other hand she is one factor that gives power to the movie, somehow she makes the story unbalanced because the rest of the cast should work on her �level�. But, of course, this is not her fault. read more �

Even the title is very young. �10 Things I Hate About You� is so teenager and light, could just be another kind of rom-com, and so cheerful that it is needless to frown or scowl to watch this flick. This is the kind of movie you could enjoy with your friends (or, especially, with your girl/boyfriend) and a bowl of popcorn and a glass of soda in your spare time. �10 Things I Hate About You� is actually a modern-day adaptation of classic play by William Shakespeare , �The Taming of the Shrew� (and you can see some references and clues about it in the movie), but, regardless of that, it is just an easy movie. read more �

It�s another black comedy. �Carnage� was adapted from the play �Le Dieu du Carnage� or �God of Carnage� by Yasmina Reza , a French playwright. After having a great success in France, the play was re-produced for Broadway in 2009, gaining Reza a Tony Award for Best Play . Then, Roman Polanski co-wrote and directed it for big screen under an international co-production of France, Germany, Spain, and Poland. It is shot in France, not USA, due to Polanski�s legal conviction in USA . It is also shot in real time without breaks . read more �

I�m so curious with this film because from its outlook, it doesn�t offer something promising that worth a bunch of nominations of Golden Globe or Oscar. It seems like another rom-com, except that it contains a good cast and a well-acclaimed director. �Silver Linings Playbook� is one of the contenders of this year�s Academy Award�s Best Picture , and before watching it, I erased all the Golden Globe and Oscar buzz in my mind so I could see it as it purely is. Then, we will examine if it really worth its acclaim. read more �