Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Upcoming Review -- Oldboy

Oldboy (2003)
Running Time: 120 Min.

Directed By: Chan-wook Park
Written By: Jo-yun Hwang, Chun-hyeong Lim, Joon-hyung Lim and Chan-wook Park
Starring: Min-sik Choi, Ji-tae Yu and Hye-jeong Kang.

Synopsis:
After fifteen years of imprisonment, Oh Dae-su (Min-sik), with the help of Mido (Hye-jeong), only have five days to find Dae-su's captor (Ji-tae) and get revenge for the life he once had.

Upcoming Movies

08/05/07 -- Blazing Saddles (1974)
08/09/07 -- Hot Fuzz (2007)
08/12/07 -- Tron (1982)

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Posted by Ampersand on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 at 12:25 AM | | Comments

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Nobody Knows (2004): Sad, but true.

In the mid ’80s, a mother left her four children to live by themselves in Tokyo, for how long she planned on leaving them be, nobody knows.

This film is definitely hard to digest as if there really is a possibility of someone doing this to their children. How can a parent leave their kids to fend for themselves with nothing? In a world were families mean so much, it's rare to see something as atrocious as this, but it has happened before. And I guess this is why Nobody Knows hits on such a personal level.

Keiko, the extremely childish mother, played wonderfully (and even annoying at times) by You makes me wonder how accurate she took on this maternal role. There is the inkling that Keiko was really trying to do good for her family, but her actions are greatly overshadowed by her disappearance from her children's lives. But through this misfortune, her children are able to grow, and that's what this film shows best: the growth of the children.

Even before Keiko left, Akira, the eldest child, tended to his siblings. He was the head of the household, though he may have not fully recognized it. Akira was fortunate enough to attend school, whereas his siblings weren’t as lucky, but now is not able to, since there is no income able to support his education. Akira is the only child to be able to go outside. The owners of the apartment where his family lives only know that he the only supposed child living there. His siblings are not allowed to go outside. The only exception is the second oldest child, Kyoko, who is able to go out on the balcony to do laundry.

Akira (Yuya Yagiru) and Kyoko (Kitaura Ayu) are portrayed to a punch. They are the two most important characters, looking after the siblings. They are essentially the mother and father to their younger brother, Shigeru, and sister, Yuki.

Yagiru received most screen time, carefully living the life of of Akira. Akira does his best for his family, first watching over the money, spending it wisely, sometimes carelessly on useless necessities, but he tries to do it all in the name of his family. Akira sacrifices everything for his siblings, finding ways to keep things going, even if they are minuscule.

It’s hard to watch the film, because once you see that understand what these children went through, you may begin to wonder why no one noticed that the children were alone. Maybe it was because nobody knew, or maybe it was that nobody cared.

This is where I think Nobody Knows becomes much more heartbreaking. As the money runs out, Akira searches for ways to find food and money. He’s able to bum out old food from a local convenience store clerk. Akira also speaks with the fathers of his siblings (each child has a different father), in which some only give out little or no money. This also helps broaden Akira’s heroism, he’s doing everything he can for his half-siblings. Family is family.

Finally, the last thing I have to talk about is the story and directing. Writer and director, Kore-eda Hirokazu, had a fantastic story on his hands, and I think he knew that. He did a wonderful job at telling the story. The shooting for films usually lasts around a month, then post-production sets in. Kore-eda spent a year filming this movie. No matter what, that’s absolute dedication. He literally let his characters grows and become real.

Now, I know this movie is Jason’s favorite, and probably nothing I can say will remotely hold up to what he has to offer. This movie is a great film, though horribly depressing at times, yet it shows how life truly is and how much it should be treasured. As I deliberated on the final score, I pondered the thought of a “9,” but as I see as how it leaves such a resounding look at the lives of others, I know there’s much more to it.

If you haven’t seen this film, then do so. Don’t miss out.

The Final Call:

10/10

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Posted by Austen on Sunday, July 29, 2007 at 7:12 PM | | Comments

Friday, July 27, 2007

Upcoming Review -- Nobody Knows

Nobody Knows (2004)
Running Time: 141 Min.

Directed By: Kore-eda Hirokazu
Written By: Kore-eda Hirokazu
Starring: Yagira Yuya, Kitaura Ayu, Kimura Hiei, Shimizu Momoko, Kan Hanae, and You.

Synopsis:
Too poor to afford a proper apartment, a mother (You) and her four children sneak into their new residence. But when the mom leaves and never comes back, it is up to the oldest son, Akira (Yagira), to look after his siblings. Based on a true story.

Upcoming Movies

08/02/07 -- OldBoy (2003)
08/05/07 -- Blazing Saddles (1974)
08/09/07 -- Hot Fuzz (2007)

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Posted by Ampersand on Friday, July 27, 2007 at 12:02 AM | | Comments

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Jaws (1975): Only in words.

I was eight years old, bundled tightly in a sleeping bag, sitting close to my friends, watching a small television screen in front of us intensely. It was the first time I laid eyes on Jaws. At that time, I would never have imagined that Jaws would have such a profound effect on my life.

We dubbed it “Jaws Night.” We rented the whole collection of the Jaws films (on VHS at the time) and intended on staying up as late as possible to watch them all. I was only able to watch the first film before slowly dazing off, chasing away dreams of giant man-eating sharks. But what I watched was wonderful. It scared me, yet I was along for the ride the whole entire time.

Six years passed before I watched Jaws for the second time. This time it was being played on television, in regards to the anniversary edition that was being released. I watched the film, and something was sparked inside of me. I couldn’t stop watching it. TNT has been known for playing Jaws over and over again, and every time they played it, I watched it. I watched it religiously. Some may consider that too much, but I didn’t care, I loved it. I craved it. I embraced it.

And now, after all of these years, I finally voice my opinion regarding this great piece of cinematic history.


*****

If Jaws was a woman, I’d make sweet love to it.

Okay, maybe not, but you get my point. By reading the former paragraphs, there is absolutely no doubt in your mind that Jaws is my all-time favorite movie, and in my opinion, the greatest movie I’ve ever seen.

Now here’s where you might possibly conclude that I’m going to be a little bias regarding the film, as I hold it so highly. I’ll do my best and not to act like I am.

Peter Benchley was the first screenwriter to pen the script for Jaws. He stayed true to his novel, but the draft was rejected by Stephen Spielberg. Benchley re-wrote the script two more times, both rejected by Spielberg. Carl Gottlieb was then called in to help co-write the script.

The story is simple, and it always has been: a Great White shark plagues a small island community, and three men set out to stop it. There is more beneath the surface (pun not intended) to this movie. The script has the basic pillars and foundations any movie needs: friction. Man versus man, and man versus nature. This is one of the biggest things that I’ve always noted when watching Jaws.

Although Roy Scheider does a fantastic job as Martin Brody, the new police chief, Robert Shaw ousted him as the best actor of the film, playing the rough and vulgar shark hunter, Quint. All of the characters are fleshed out throughout the story, but only does Quint carry the air of reality to him. It is in the second act of the film where the three protagonists sit around a table, sharing stories about their scars. Quint concludes with the tale of the USS Indianapolis, blowing the others out of the water (again, pun not intended) ... you’ll see what I mean.

Spielberg did a great job directing the actors and the movie, no matter what Jason says. It may have been by sheer luck that Spielberg shot the film the way it was. Had “Bruce” (the mechanical shark) actually worked, I’m sure the movie would have been vastly different. Because of the technical failures “Bruce” suffered, Spielberg then shot the film from the point-of-view of the man-eater. It created a ghostly ambiance: the monster swimming below the surface; its victims blissfully unaware what lies beneath.

There’s nothing I can say about John Williams that Jason hasn’t said. Williams is my second favorite composer (coming up behind Joe Hisaishi), and by only switching from two keys, E and F.

At one point in time, Jaws was only a scary movie to me. Now it is something vastly more. It was the catalyst that made me see how wonderful films are (even if they're horrible). It showed me that the audience remembers those movies they took a moment out of their life to sit down and watch. I yearn for that same goal, to have a movie be remembered by the audience, as I strive to be a great screenwriter. I can't imagine my life now had I not found Jaws so captivating.

Now, only in words, can I hope that you understand why and how much I cherish this film.

The Final Call:

10/10

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Posted by Austen on Thursday, July 26, 2007 at 1:30 PM | | Comments

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Upcoming Review -- Jaws

Jaws (1975)
Running Time: 124 Min.

Directed By: Steven Spielberg
Written By: Peter Benchley & Carl Gottlieb
Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, and Lorraine Gary.

Synopsis:
Amity Island has always been a peaceful community, but when a Great White shark terrorizes the island, the Chief of Police (Scheider), a fisherman (Shaw), and a Marine Biologist (Dreyfuss) set out to find the man-eater.

Upcoming Movies

07/29/07 -- Nobody Knows (2004)
08/02/07 -- OldBoy (2003)
08/05/07 -- Blazing Saddles (1974)

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Posted by Ampersand on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 at 2:34 AM | | Comments

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Citizen Kane (1941): The All-American Film?

Twice revered by the American Film Institute (AFI) as the #1 Greatest Film -- in both 1997 and 2007 -- of all time. Time magazine named Citizen Kane the best film in American cinema history. Even the first words uttered in the film has made it to the #17 spot on AFI’s 100 Greatest Quotes.

Now, does that mean that we should all be saying that Citizen Kane is the greatest thing to ever happen to American cinema? In my honest opinion, no.

Take it from me, it may be an okay film, but it's definitely worth a watch.

To be truthfully honest, I don’t really see the striking features of the film as to why someone would simply fall in love with it, possibly naming it their favorite movie of all time. Sure there are plenty of good things about the film, but to say it’s the greatest, is quite possibly the overstatement of the century.

Now, I’m not saying it’s bad, on the contrary, it’s good. And any film student worth their weight would know that it is mandatory to watch this film, for there are many noteworthy aspects throughout the film that need to be taken in to consideration.

The movie starts off right away with the ambient sounds of composer Bernard Hermann. Eerie is not the best word, but it’s the first to come to mind.

As a director, Orson Welles uses an abundance of original camera techniques, which has definitely helped to pave the way for future directors. Shadows were frequent in the film, concealing faces, the audience unaware of the emotions raging inside any one of the characters hidden.

Welles also uses a simple technique of pointing the camera up at Kane and down on other characters, almost raising Kane's status, putting him on the pedestal above everyone else.

There is a scene in mind, where Kane speaks to a crowd, with a giant poster of his stoic face hanging defiantly behind him. In essence, this man is larger than life.

I was amazed to learn that this was Welles’ first major feature as a director, and how well he fit in to the shoes, albeit being booed for trying.

Welles portrayed Charles Foster Kane extremely well, and at first glance, I couldn’t believe that the 26-year-old Welles was playing the aging newspaper magnate. I had been tricked by Welles into believing that aging Kane was a completely different actor. Welles definitely had talent, and he put everything he had in to this movie. Joseph Cotten did a nice performance as Kane's good friend, Leland. The only character in the movie I felt differently about was Susan Alexander Kane (Dorothy Comingore), her character was quite over-the-top, and really too much to handle.

The story was quite solid, told through flashbacks by the people that knew Kane the best. The movie kept coming in full circles, making laps around Kane, bringing his full life into picture for us. Each time we went back, told by a different person, we began to see the changes in Kane's character, from his humble beginnings to his tragic end. Mankiewicz and Welles truly deserved their Academy Award.

All-in-all, I was actually quite please with the movie, though it did seem to drag on a bit on occasion. That is given since the film is in black and white. And as I finish this review, I've seen to have given myself a reassurance that this film is better than I first thought after finishing it.

The Final Call:

8/10

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Posted by Austen on Sunday, July 22, 2007 at 2:05 PM | | Comments

Friday, July 20, 2007

Upcoming Review -- Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane (1941)
Running Time: 119 Min.

Directed By: Orson Welles
Written By: Herman J. Mankiewicz & Orson Welles
Starring: Orson Welles, Dorothy Comingore, Ruth Warrick, Joseph Cotten, Everett Sloane, and William Alland.

Synopsis:
Newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane (Welles) dies alone in his palace, Xanadu. His last words, "Rosebud," causes a reporter (Alland) to meet up with those who knew Kane the best to understand what "Rosebud" truly means, and to find out who really was Charles Kane.

Upcoming Movies

07/26/07 -- Jaws (1975)
07/29/07 -- Nobody Knows (2004)
08/02/07 -- Old Boy (2003)

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Posted by Ampersand on Friday, July 20, 2007 at 1:13 AM | | Comments

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Let's begin.

Who am I?

The world has come to know me as Austen. I am three-fifths of the manliest duo to ever walk amongst the lands and societies of movie reviews. (The remaining portion would be that of my best friend, Jason.)

Not too long ago, Jason spoke to me regarding his thoughts of writing reviews. Quite some time ago, I would lazily write reviews and articles for a newspaper in a bluish haze, bleary-eyed from long hours in front of the computer.

Needless to say, I was up for this little idea of his.

So we began deliberating on what we would do. Seeing as how we both love movies, we came up with Janus Movie Reviews -- unfortunately, that name had been taken. After an other try, thusly was birthed under a bright star, Ampersand Movie Reviews.

What is A.M.R.?

In The Screenwriter's Bible, Dave Trottier writes:

"If there are two or more writers and they worked together and contributed equally, use an ampersand instead of the word and. For example:

'NAZIS IN SPACE'

By Bart Snuff & Buffy Bucksaw."

This, I find, says it all.

Two best friends sit down (across the world though) to watch a movie. Then they give their honest opinion concerning the film. Two complete and reasonable opinions, mind you. We do not get paid to watch these movies. We pay to watch the movies. We find time throughout our busy lives, just like millions of others do, to spend two or so hours in front of theater or television screen absorbed in a world not our own. To say that our opinions already differ from that of paid movie critics, it is true, because we keep in mind if the movie is worth it a watch.

Not to be confused with the 79 Best Pictures project -- which is cool in its own right -- Jason and I have not limits to movies we will watch. The films don’t have to be an Oscar winner; they don’t have to have sold millions in the Box Office their first weekend. No, any movie shall work -- hoping it is a good movie. We are here to watch the world's movies.

Some people may say that this has been done before: two people watching films and critiquing them. But who hasn't been a critic? No one. If you've ever told a friend about a movie you love or hate, you're casting your opinion about the film. So, in one way, shape or form, everyone has been or is a critic.

There are plenty of movie review sites online, some by professionals and some by regular Joe Schmoes. There are television programs where professional critics berate or praise films. So, what makes our site so different?

Nothing.

But if you care to stop by, I then wish to thank you. I hope you enjoy your visit.

The Rules:

We’ve slated a few rules for us to follow.

Regarding our reviews, we will not be working together. Period. Seeing as how Jason and I live thousands of miles away, we won’t necessarily be watching the same movie at the exact same time. We won’t have any communication regarding our reviews before we post them. Only after we have posted our reviews will we talk about what our feelings were for the film.

Our only source of information regarding the films we watch will be that of IMDb. We are not to read any other reviews regarding the movies we watch prior to the screening.

Jason and I are big fans of not ruining movies for others, so a rule we plan on following religiously: no spoilers. So, take comfort in the knowledge that we won't try to ruin the experience for you.

That’s really about it.

* * * * *

If you made it this far, I thank you. Thank you for taking your time to stop by and read this little blurb I carefully inscribed via my computer.

If you see any movie you hate or love, feel free to share your opinion regarding it. I would love to hear from the populace of the world and see how you feel about the films we rate.

Your’s Ebulliently,

Austen.

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Posted by Austen on Sunday, July 15, 2007 at 1:16 PM | | Comments

About A.M.R.

  • Two best friends, Jason & Austen, have formed Ampersand Movie Reviews. They pick the movies, (possibly with your help) and they rate them. There's two different and utterly reasonable aspects on some of the best and worst films the world has to offer. New reviews every Sunday and Thursday.
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