Sigh... a week has past yet again, and that means that my one-week annual leave is officially over. Lots happened over the week - my brother's wedding was held on unday, busy busy day. Then I spent the rest of the week shopping, dining, reading and watching. In fact, I was so busy doing worthless things that I have't actually had the time to do better things like packing my room!

Anyway, no vacation would be compete without movies for me. Here are the movies I have watched in the past week.

1) Donnie Darko

A movie which I re-watched and wrote a review on a week ago. See here for my review.

Verdict: Must watch!!


2) Proof

This was one of the 3 movies which I rented, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Jake Gyllenhaal and Anthony Hopkins.



According to a CDS-TV review, this movie was "the kind of movie that's made for Oscar". Frankly, it is. However, it pulls off as a mere wannabe. A wannabe that failed miserably.

Everything in it's presentation reeks Academy Awards hopeful - from the cinematography to the characters which include a mentally deranged mathematical genius (Anthony Hopkins) and his long-suffering daughter (Gwyneth Paltrow) who after the loss of her father starts to doubt her own sanity. Then there's the student who has made it big in the math field (Jake Gyllenhaal) and who falls in love with Paltrow then helps her through her perceived sanity.

Reading that description alone would have made it an Oscar potential. However, there is just one thing that lacks from this movie which sinks it for me - there is just no soul. There was no purpose in telling the story, no motivation for the character's actions, no logic in the flow of the story. It just sinks. A good drama movie should leave you emotionally affected by it, it should give you something to think about and it should, at the end of it all, send a message which is meaningful and unforgetable. That occurred with American Beauty, The Cider House Rules, and all the other dramatic favourites of mine. However, with this one, nothing of this sort came out of it.

Very unfortunate. And to think it was "based on the Pulitzer Prize Winner" and was directed by the "Director of the Acadmy Award Winning Film 'Shakespeare in Love'". Disappointing. Not even a strong cast sould save it from mediocrity.

Verdict: You may wanna give it a chance but be warned...


3) The Secret Adventures of Gustave Klopp (Narco)

However, my movie-viewing experience was lifted with this excellent little movie from France.



It stars Guillaume Canet (who starred as the French Lieutenant in Joyeux Noel) as the main character who suffers from Narcolepsy, falling into deep slumber whenever he was stressed or emotionally high. This, of course, led to a string of unfortunate events, like falling asleep after he had successfully wooed a girl into kissing him, falling asleep through all his short-lived jobs, and falling asleep before he could give his step-son a lashing for being rude. However, this was until a revelation came to him, and he realised that he could put his condition into good use as his sleeping fits usually came with wonderful and creative dreams. However, being the simple good-natured dope he is, it wasn't long before the people around him began to exploit him.

Weird storyline? Not so if you have seen at least one other French movie. The only other French movie I saw (not counting Joyeux Noel cos that was a co-production) was Love Me if You Dare (Jeux d'enfants), also starring the same French dude. And that one, I felt, was wilder than this. Both Juex d'enfants and Narco are good movies in their own rights, but I like the latter for it's simple yet entertaining plotline and its likable characters. Frankly, in Jeux d'enfants, I got quite tired of the leads' childish play which I felt simply pushed the envelope. Here, it was about the underdog's simple wish for a life he could claim to be his own. Pack that with a great soundtrack, creative cinematography and lively characters like his get-ahead manicurist wife Pam, his self-professed Karate expert and Van Damme-wannabe best friend Lenny, his insanely jealous shrink Pupkin and a failed stand-up comedian... and the movie flies.

This may not be the best of its kind, but it certainly made me wanna watch it again and again for its humor and its characters.

Trivia - Canet's wife at the time (they filed for divorce recently) was German actress Diane Kruger. You remember her right?? Abigail Chase from National Treasure??? Helen from Troy??? She was also the lead actress (the only actress, actually) in Joyeux Noel. Goodness, I never knew that until I looked up on this movie. Anyway, she had a cameo in this movie as one of the night-clubbers.

Showbiz marriages are sooo short-lived!!!

Verdict: Try it!



On other movies, Salvador is completed! Starring German actor Daniel Bruhl (from Good Bye Lenin!), it tells the story about a Spainish anarchist and bank-robber whose execution in 1974 was the last before democracy was given to Spain. A German actor as a Spainish hero?? No worries. The man is fluent in both German and Spanish thanks to his parentage. Nevertheless, reviews on IMDB look good so far. I'm sure it will be something to look forward to. Check out the trailer here!

I'm looking forward to The Illusionist, starring long-time-no-see Edward Norton. Sounds suspiciously like The Prestige cos both are about magicians but different focus. Proabably won't be as dramatic as The Prestige but it still looks like something worth catching. Nice poster too.

Children of Men! When will that come to Singapore????

And is Singapore ever gonna bring in Harsh Times??? And check out the information for one of Christian Bale's to-be-released movies called I'm Not There. Interesting premise and great cast.

Meanwhile, I'm just waiting for the sequel to Batman Begins. And of course, the 3rd Pirates of the Carribbean movie which stars Chow Yun-Fat too. I have a problem with the costume thou...