Film: The Number 23
Director: Joel Schumacher
Starring: Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, Danny Huston
Schumacher was behind the Phone Booth, Tigerland and the remake of The Phantom of the Opera. So, I was very interested to see how this film would turn out. Jim Carrey is playing a serious role here although there are some moments that are very Carrey-esque and consquently, a strain on the film.
Walter(Carrey) stumbles upon a novel that he believes to be about him. It is a thriller, so I don't want to ruin anything. The author tells about obsession with the number 23. Madsen well portrays Agatha, Walter's wife.
The angles and cinematography in this movie is great. It is always good when a director knows who to work a camera. The energy and drive in the film truly keeps the plot moving. There were also some nice artistic touches throughout the film.
A lot of critics dismissed this film because of supposed plot holes. I personally do not know what they are referring too. I should note that the idea of numerology is supposed to be stretch- it is a quack science.
Overall, an underrated film.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Film Review: Knocked Up
Film: Knocked Up
Director: Judd Apatow
Looking through Judd Apatow's credits, I see that he has produced a couple of recent decent films, 40 Year-Old Virgin, Talladega Nights, Anchorman, and a personal old-time favourite, Cable Guy.
The title is self-explanatory, boy and girl enjoy a one night stand- girl discovers that she is pregnant. Ben(Seth Rogen) is a unemployed pot-smoker, and Allison(Katharine Heigl) is entertainment news reporter who got her first big break.
The leads Heigl and Rogen both did an excellent job. It was nice to see Heigl out of a labcoat- I think we got to see more of her acting talent in this one. I especially loved the work by Leslie Mann(Allison's sister, Debbie)- who is also, mysteriously, from Cable Guy.
The film is certainly comedic, but it truly stands out from the rest of the genre. I think the actors showed some real talent in the dramatic parts, which saved the movie from typical romantic comedy dullness that usually plagues the genre.
Director: Judd Apatow
Looking through Judd Apatow's credits, I see that he has produced a couple of recent decent films, 40 Year-Old Virgin, Talladega Nights, Anchorman, and a personal old-time favourite, Cable Guy.
The title is self-explanatory, boy and girl enjoy a one night stand- girl discovers that she is pregnant. Ben(Seth Rogen) is a unemployed pot-smoker, and Allison(Katharine Heigl) is entertainment news reporter who got her first big break.
The leads Heigl and Rogen both did an excellent job. It was nice to see Heigl out of a labcoat- I think we got to see more of her acting talent in this one. I especially loved the work by Leslie Mann(Allison's sister, Debbie)- who is also, mysteriously, from Cable Guy.
The film is certainly comedic, but it truly stands out from the rest of the genre. I think the actors showed some real talent in the dramatic parts, which saved the movie from typical romantic comedy dullness that usually plagues the genre.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Novel Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Novel: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Author: J. K. Rowling
I started reading the series as a preteen and it seemed almost fitting that I'd finish the series while preparing for my new life at university in the fall.
It'll be hard to explain this without offending any die hard fans- but here it goes. When I started reading it as a child- I was overwhelmed by the enormous world that she had created. It was absolutely amazing. It was the most well imagined fantasy I had ever read. Everything was just so compelling. I adored the characters- they were so ordinary.
The first book was possibly the most breathtaking. It truly brought you into this world of wonderful things. The second and third continued the themes, making the world more and more real. The fourth and fifth took some of innocence away from the previous- bringing Harry against stronger and more resilient forms of evil. The sixth was dramatically more darker- new worlds of evil were unlocked.
Which takes us to the seventh, and final book in the series. It had a much different feel than the others. The other were driven, faster paced, and on the whole, more enjoyable. The final book was hollow. The plot felt as though it was inevitable, rather than creative. I think it lacked some of the lustre of its predecessors. In a way- I think it was meant to be so.
Still, I never put the book down. It thinks that says all I need to say about Rowling's writing.
Author: J. K. Rowling
I started reading the series as a preteen and it seemed almost fitting that I'd finish the series while preparing for my new life at university in the fall.
It'll be hard to explain this without offending any die hard fans- but here it goes. When I started reading it as a child- I was overwhelmed by the enormous world that she had created. It was absolutely amazing. It was the most well imagined fantasy I had ever read. Everything was just so compelling. I adored the characters- they were so ordinary.
The first book was possibly the most breathtaking. It truly brought you into this world of wonderful things. The second and third continued the themes, making the world more and more real. The fourth and fifth took some of innocence away from the previous- bringing Harry against stronger and more resilient forms of evil. The sixth was dramatically more darker- new worlds of evil were unlocked.
Which takes us to the seventh, and final book in the series. It had a much different feel than the others. The other were driven, faster paced, and on the whole, more enjoyable. The final book was hollow. The plot felt as though it was inevitable, rather than creative. I think it lacked some of the lustre of its predecessors. In a way- I think it was meant to be so.
Still, I never put the book down. It thinks that says all I need to say about Rowling's writing.
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