"Headhunters" from Norway

3.5 Potatoes

"Headhunters" (2011) - Hodejegerne by Morten Tyldum, a crime thriller from Norway, is a must-see!


This film was released at AFI last year and now in theaters in LA. 
Stylish, gruesome, suspenseful and very intelligently written. There are a lot of
surprises throughout the film, some humors are not to miss.


I really enjoyed it. Oh by the way, the guy who plays Clas Greve,
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, is Ser Jaime Lannister from the HBO series "Game of Thrones" if you are wondering where you've seen him.

Synopsis: An accomplished headhunter risks everything to obtain a valuable painting owned by a former mercenary. (IMDb)

USA: In Theaters Now

"Miss Bala" & "REC 2" Failed...

1 Potato for both

I was pretty disappointed with this film "Miss Bala" (2011) by Gerardo Naranjo.
I remember this Mexican producer was raving about it at the AFI last year, but I have seen it better...

Another disappointment in the past a few weeks was the Spanish reality-show style horror "REC 2" (2009) by Jaume Balagueró & Paco Plaza. The part one was great.
There was a lot of mystery left at the end and I was so looking forward to seeing this sequel...

BUT the mysterious virus infested apartment building turned out be a house of a bunch of Linda Blair wannabe... Fail...

So what is this third sequel going to be?? OMEN?

I seriously need to restore my Netflix cue....

"Drive" with Ryan Gosling

3.5 Potatoes

I just saw the new film "Drive" (2011) by Nicolas Winding Refn. No expectation nor knowledge about it before I went to the screening. Only one thing I knew about this film was that the director won the Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival this year.

Surprisingly, I really liked it. The movie had a touch of the 80's cheesiness and I also thought the film was somewhat influenced by Claude Lelouch's "Roman de Gare" (2007), especially the driving scenes and the music which goes along with them. But that didn't bother me really. I thought the film was well executed and Ryan Gosling is an actor that truly can act without dialogues.

Highly Recommended.


Synopsis: A Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong. (IMDb)




USA: In Theater Everywhere on Friday 09/16/2011

"Love Crime"

2.5 Potatoes

The final film of Alain Corneau "Love Crime" - Crime d'Amour (2010) with Kristine Scott Thomas and Ludivine Sagnier is finally released in Los Angeles this weekend.

It is just typical backstubbing movie, women, competition, just like any other day in Los Angeles... The music was horrible, that really distracted me from concentrating on the film. And I thought it didn't show the best quality of Ludivine Sagnier either... very unfortunate.

I liked the one-sheet though...


Synopsis: Ruthless executive Christine brings on Isabelle as her assistant, and she takes delight in toying with the young woman's innocence. But when the protégé's ideas become tempting enough for Christine to pass one as her own, she underestimates Isabelle's ambition and cunning -- and the ground is set for all out war. (IMDb)


Synopsis (FR): Dans le décor aseptisé des bureaux d’une puissante multinationale, deux femmes s’affrontent… La jeune Isabelle travaille sous les ordres de Christine, une femme de pouvoir qu’elle admire sans réserve. Convaincue de son ascendant sur sa protégée, Christine entraîne Isabelle dans un jeu trouble et pervers de séduction et de domination. 
Ce jeu dangereux va trop loin… jusqu’au point de non retour. (AlloCiné)

USA: In Theaters in N.Y. and Los Angeles
Also Available on VOD

"Point Blank"

I am so glad to hear that the new French movie "Point Blank" (2010) - À Bout Portant by Fred Cavayé is going to be released in Los Angeles and New York this month.

It is an action thriller movie starring Gilles Lellouche who is now a rising main role actor who has been in fact in the movie industry for a long time and was known for the best co-star often supporting the main character in the movie. Other cast include Gérard Lanvin and Roshdy Zem.


Synopsis: Samuel Pierret (Gilles Lellouche) is a nurse who saves the wrong guy -- a thief (Roschdy Zem) whose henchmen take Samuel's pregnant wife (Elena Anaya) hostage to force him to spring their boss from the hospital. A race through the subways and streets of Paris ensues, and the body count rises. Can Samuel evade the cops and the criminal underground and deliver his beloved to safety? (IMDb)

Synopsis (FR): Tout va pour le mieux pour Samuel et Nadia : lui est bientôt infirmier et elle, attend son premier enfant. Mais tout bascule lorsque Nadia se fait kidnapper sous l'oeil impuissant de Samuel. A son réveil, son portable retentit : il a trois heures pour sortir de l'hôpital dans lequel il travaille un homme sous surveillance policière. Le destin de Samuel est désormais lié à celui de Sartet, une figure du banditisme activement recherchée par tous les services de police. S'il veut revoir sa femme vivante, Samuel doit faire vite.. (AlloCiné)


Official Site: http://www.pointblankmovie.com/

USA: In Theaters in L.A. and New York,  July 29, 2011

"CARLOS"

4 Potatoes

I am so excited to announce that the film, well I should say TV mini-series Golden Globe-winning "Carlos" 2010 by Olivier Assayas is finally available on streaming! It is a total 5.5 hours drama based on the story of Ilich Ramírez Sánchez aka 'Carlos the Jackal' who was the most wanted terrorist since 1970's. I recall some part of the actual attacks caused by 'Carlos' in the past, but there were more events I wasn't aware of.

The Venezuelan actor Édgar Ramírez who played 'Carlos' was amazing. He used his linguistic talent to the max, playing in 4 different languages fluently: Spanish, English, French, and German. WHO else can do that!!?? 

I saw the full version of this movie in theater last year when the American Cinematheque released it for one weekend. I think there was about 10 minutes intermission during the 5.5 hour movie. Personally I didn't need any intermission because the film was edited and directed so well, I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next.

Assyas & Ramírez at the opening night of "Carlos"

At the screening, Olivier Assayas and Édgar Ramírez introduced the film. And when the moderator asked Édgar Ramírez if there was anything he would like to add before the film starts, he simply reply "what more can I add to a 5.5 hours film?". Great sense of humor.

Totally worth 330 minutes of your life.


Synopsis: Édgar Ramírez stars as Ilich Ramírez Sánchez -- aka Carlos the Jackal -- an elusive Venezuelan terrorist who executed scores of assassination plots, abductions and bombings across Europe and the Middle East. This Golden Globe-winning biopic follows Sanchez from 1973 to 1994 as he and his cohorts wreak havoc on the Left Bank in Paris, storm OPEC headquarters in Vienna and carry out other devastating acts of politically motivated violence. 
(NETFLIX)


USA: Full version (330 mins) - Streaming Available on Netflix


*UPDATE: DVD & BD The Criterion Collection Available Sep 27th, 2011
http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/carlos

"Character"

5 Potatoes

I felt like watching a good movie tonight and I decided to watch the movie "Character" (1997) - Karakter by Mike van Diem again. It was the winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1998. Probably this was the first Dutch film I have seen in my life and I didn't even know any of the actors in the film. 
The story is very well written and a lot of surprises. I truly enjoyed it and I know I will enjoy it again and again. Highly Recommended.


Synopsis: Dreverhaven (Jan Decleir), the city's most feared bailiff, is discovered with a knife through his heart, and a young, self-taught lawyer (Fedja van Huet) who just passed his exams was the last person to see the man alive. But what was his connection to the dead man? The police are mighty interested to know, and the young barrister is ready to tell the story of a lifetime. This Dutch-Belgian drama won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. (Netflix)


Available on DVD

"The Man from Nowhere"

3.5 Potatoes

To make up the bad movie start this weekend, I quickly went into my DVD-to-Catch-up piles.Tonight's pick was "The Man from Nowhere" (2010) - Ajeossi 아저씨 by Jeong-Beom Lee with Bin Won. I added this movie to my Netflix list because I like Bin Won.

But surprisingly it was a good movie! Typical Korean action thriller and violent as usual, but there was a nice touch of heartfelt feeling to it, if you know what I mean...

Bin Won's true action without body double is HOT.

If you like Korean action movie, it is Highly Recommended.



- Violent and Gritty