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Films I’ve watched

I love to watch motion pictures and especially like them if they are good. Just thought that it’d be great to document all those that I’ve watched so that one day when I’m old and dysfunctional, I can just pick from the list.

There are countless of films I’ve watched prior 2008, but I can’t really recall most of them. I’ll check back the cinema tickets I keep in the shoebox later. Links are provided for some titles that are not so popular, have other versions or might cause confusion.

2008

Kami the Movie - so the film was about people keeping secrets from each other. The characters was well established: the emo rocker, the juvie runaway clownish bestfriend, the online dating junkie, the pretty but brainy, the drug runner-cum-mysterious writer, the lonely exhusband dad, the cougar exwife/mom, etc. But I don’t find the story intriguing enough that one can miss sloppy factualities and technicalities like offer to study medicine right after SPM or blood that remained so fresh and very red after hours?

Mamma Mia the Movie (Wiki) - Boring. Pierce Brosnan should never sing!

Get Smart (Wiki)

You Don’t Mess with the Zohan - everyone watching this - whether American, Muslim, Jew, Democrat, Republican, gay, Donald Trump, hairstylist, military, immigrant or not - really  have to do so with an open mind. It’s so stupid to the point you don’t find yourself stupid watching it.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Wiki)

Freaky Friday - I’ve been meaning to watch this movie for so long. Despite what being said about her, she’s good at this thing. There are some parts of this film I don’t particularly like, like the dude that fell for Ana, but what the heck, it’s Disney. All silliness is permissible.

Nancy Drew (Wiki) - I picked this one up out of feeling all nostalgic about my past reading the yellowish books I borrowed from the mobile library that came to my primary school every week or so. I do appreciate the effort made to creatively depict the modern-day Nancy as independent intelligent old-fashioned young lady. But someone who have read the original series can really tell that the it is not as simple as in the film. It’s shame that kids these days have little to imagine about. The film doesn’t excite me as much as the books do. Everything is just too obvious. I was expecting Nancy to be older, like in college or something. The girl that played Nancy is pretty but her acting was completely over-rehearsed and so unnatural. The jokes ain’t funny at all. The costumes are just perfect and I love the French maid

This is England - The film is very timely for Malaysians. Too bad that it hasn’t been shown here. It couldn’t get any similar to the current situation in this country.

Knocked Up - Gross.

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium

Miss Potter (Wiki) - I’ve heard a lot of brouhaha about inaccuracies in the film but the story was beautifully told. I am so going to Lancaster!

The Spiderwick Chronicles (Wiki) - There seemed to be a significant departure from the original story most notably the happy ending which I think was okay. But New York, WTF?. Poor dubbing, you could really tell that there are parts Freddie Highmore suddenly sounded so different. Thing is, family members do sound alike and Freddie Highmore sounded like a long lost distant cousin, instead of a sibling. Why didn’t they just use an American kid to dub his voice throughout the movie? If could have been great if they give more attention to the little details.

The Others (Wiki) - I appreciate that ghosts weren’t portrayed they often were.

Persepolis (Wiki) - A great biography. The opening page to my learning of Iran.

The Hours (Wiki) - Everything seemed to have worked well in this film. A very strong story and seasoned actors. Had I not read the review before, I couldn’t have recognized the tall blonde woman Ms. Kidman is.

Lucky Number Slevin - Your typical Hollywood storyline with the finest detail of work.

The Other Boleyn Girl (Wiki) - Impeccable performance by Ana Torrent (as Queen Katherine of Aragon) and Kristin Scott Thomas (as Lady Boleyn)

The Bank Job

Zodiac (Wiki)

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Wiki) - Felt like I’m a little bit too old for this. All characters (especially Susie and Lucy) seemed to have been accentuated as compared to the book, as far as I can remember.

What Happens in Vegas - Too cheesy. Overrated. Ain’t that funny, actually.

Run Fatboy, Run - It was made using a perfect recipe for brilliant comedy. Poke fun at the right things (e.g. an American), embrace the local culture and never ever lose touch to reality. And guess who’s the director? It’s Ross (David Schwimmer) from F.R.I.E.N.D.S. But of course the great cast line-up, among others, Simon Pegg (who co-wrote the story), Thandie Newton and Dylan Moran deserve most of the credit.

Penelope (Wiki) - Confused. Not me, the film. London town was screaming and did James McAvoy really need to hide his accent when all other Brits comfortably ruined the Americaness of the film? He failed. A disappointment, both James and Ms. Reese Witherspoon (as producer).

Juno - Simply beautiful. A lot of brilliant lines. It’s a testament of serious film-making.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s - Learning about Audrey Herpburn. Pretty weird NY ’60s sense of humor.

Enchanted (Wiki)- Just watchable, other than Amy Adams, not very likeable

Bubble Boy - Lame but, what the heck, just learning about Jake Gyllenhaal

Donnie Darko - Learning about Jake Gyllenhaal

The Great Debaters - Great performance by all actors especially Jurnee Smollett but too Hollywood-ly shiny to depict the real 1930s un-liberated America.

Over Her Dead Body - Not as funny and utterly predictable

Standing Still (Wiki) - Learning about Adam Garcia. Amy Adams was great and Dawson Geek was in it, too.

Rebel Without a Cause - Learning about James Dean. A good story telling that men are just as fragile.

Meet the Robinsons (Wiki) - On way back to KL. Fun!

Billy Elliot - Revolutionary

Grindhouse - Probably the craziest thing I’ve ever watched for the longest time.

Grace is Gone - On flight to London. Emotionally moving. I think I cried under the blanket.

Lars and the Real Girl - Totally over me

Awake (Wiki)- Have to admit it was pretty good. Lena Olin was great.

27 Dresses - Laughed my intestine out

Martian Child - Got free tickets for premier screening. Nice, especially the unmatched references to Churchill.

Cloverfield - Awesome

Jumper (Wiki)

Atonement (Wiki) - Defined piece.

The Stepford Wives (Wiki) - Pretty boring but shiny and Bette Midler was great!

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Wiki) - Nothing extraordinary other than being very loathsomely graphic. Maybe I’m just not the horror-musical type.

Just Follow Law (Wiki) - About Singaporean bureaucracy.

Water Boy (Wiki) - Japanese have quite a unique sense of humor. Too much of skinny guys in trunks.

The Holiday (Wiki) - Despite the A-list cast, Nancy Myers should never make any more romantic or start learning how to have a good sense of humor.

The Omen (Wiki)

Damien: Omen II (Wiki)

Omen III: The Final Conflict (Wiki) - Bad sex scenes and a lot of deus ex machina. Bad.

The Castle of Sand (IMDB) - Japanese in the ’70s were so beautiful. A very stirring film.

Alvin and the Chipmunks (Wiki) - Reminiscent of childhood favourite. That guy from My Name is Earl was pretty good.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (Wiki)