El Crimen del Padre Amaro ( Crime of Padre Amaro)

A controversial movie that somehow talks about the reality in the lives of the priests.

El Crimen Del Padre Amaro, so brazenly criticizes the priesthood that it had bishops all over Mexico calling for a boycott. Instead, the film took in more at the box office than any other movie in the country's history.

Now showing to U.S. audiences, Padre Amaro tells the tale of a newly ordained priest who falls from grace with a little help from a rural Mexican community. The handsome Padre, played by Gael García Bernal of Amores Perros and Y Tu Mamá También, begins his stay in Los Reyes as the sort of kind spirit who gives his money to an old man after being robbed on a bus. By the end, though, he's no better -- and perhaps quite a bit worse -- than the corrupt elders who surround him.

Unfortunately, Carrera fails to show this transformation with any sort of consistency or depth. The film isn't sure whether it's a drama or a comedy. And it only takes a few days after Padre Amaro's arrival in town for him to go from being a pious idealist to the bishop's mercenary, demanding that a journalist (Andrés Montiel) be transferred for writing an incriminating article about another priest (Sancho Gracia) -- an article that he knows is completely factual. That he accepts this first task without any soul searching kicks the legs out from under the movie. If the Padre barely had any scruples to begin with, why does it matter that he has none in the end?

Much of the controversy surrounding the film centers on the Padre's decision to abandon his chastity for a pretty young thing (Ana Claudia Talancón). While the 16-year old Amelia supposedly seduces him -- another sign of the town's infectious corruption -- the Padre barely offers any resistance and is, in fact, the one who arranges for the shag shack where they spend their afternoons. He is also the one who suggests Amelia don nothing but the Virgin's satin cloak during one of their 'sessions.' Strangely, Bernal plays these scenes with little emotion at all, again leaving the viewer without any sign of inner turmoil. This makes it incredibly difficult to care for his character when he ends up having to take Amelia to get an abortion, and having to deal with the aftermath.

But Padre Amaro is not all bad. Gastón Melo plays a tender parishioner caring for a severely handicapped daughter. And the only likeable priest in the film is Padre Natalio (Damián Alcázar), who feels at home in the hills, among farmers and guerillas. But Carrera's response to these men is to drive them out of town. The former is banished and the latter is excommunicated, making for an interesting commentary on the fate of do-gooders. (Of course, this is not all the director's doing; Padre Amaro is an updated version of the 19th century novel by Eça de Queirós.)

Yet, for all the trouble it caused and all the pesos it brought in, Padre Amaro is a surprisingly lacking film. Perhaps if Carrera had dropped some of the comic relief and forced Bernal to adopt an expression (anything at all), it would have amounted to a serious statement about morality and Catholicism. As it is now, though, the Church shouldn't worry itself too much.

Slap Her She's French

When clawing your way up to the top of the pile in the dog eat dog worlds of cheerleading and competitive beauty, sparkly teeth in a brilliant smile, gleaming eyes, perfect hair and an equally perfect set of unstuffed -- one can only hope -- breasts just aren't enough anymore. Heck, everyone is on the fast track to their Ph.D in applied sciences; everyone can play a Mozart piano sonata one-handed while upside down and blindfolded. What can a viciously competitive girl do to ensure that she always comes out on top? She adopts. No not a baby. An exchange student from a far off land called . . . . . France.

...with trendsetting comes responsibility as Slap Her ... She's French takes dead on sarcastic aim at the cheerleader/beauty queen mentality and then proceeds down the two lane highway of Denial and Deception. That means denying that one contestant is manipulating the system. The deception angle is something else altogether. But we're getting ahead of our self.

Splendona, Texas is the town that is as amazed that someone from France would venture there as it is to have her as their guest. Starla Grady (Jane McGregor) is our cheerleader, working her way up the line of local beauty pageants towards the big enchilada, her goal of becoming the most popular morning talk show host in America. Her problems are many: she's flunking French class (blame teacher Michael McKean for that); she's been suspended from the cheerleading squad and she's losing hold on her usual lock on the top spot on the pageant circuit. "Good Morning America" hasn't called, either.

To reestablish her position, Starla imports Genevieve LePlouff (Piper Perabo), a French lass with thick glasses and thicker accent. Fellow contestants nod with admiration at Starla's stunt. The entire town melts as they learn how Genevieve bears the baggage of a truly sad origin story. Her parents are dead. Her boyfriend drowned in the Seine after a motorcycle accident -- he was on his way to see her at the time. Add to that the endearing touch that almost every word out of Genevieve's mouth mangles the English language in some form of double entendre and soon, rather than elevating Starla's stature in the community, Genevieve soon finds herself to top dog in school, replacing Starla on all fronts. Starla's gal pals are Genevieve's new best buds. Starla's boyfriend is quickly swayed by the soon-revealed foreign beauty. Even Starla's parents fall to the Frenchie.

Even worse, Genevieve's topping the cheerleading team, too.

Starla must take action to stop this foreign floozy before the damage is permanent. That means uncovering the deeply hidden secrets in Genevieve's past with the help of the younger brother she wishes didn't exist (Jesse James) and the school newspaper's photographer, Ed Mitchell (Trent Ford), who is the man responsible for stripping Genevieve of her beret and glasses. But with the entire town against her, what's a queen to do? All in all, she (and everyone else) is going to make you laugh.

Going the Distance

A Romantic Comedy about meeting each other half way.Erin (Drew Barrymore) is a 31 year old woman who is having trouble pacing her life, she is still in grad school and she has recently got a job as a summer intern in a newspaper in New York. While out with a friend at a bar she meets Garrett (Justin Long) over a game. The two then drink together and end up at his place and they have sex while Garrett's roommate Dan DJed their hook up. The next morning Erin is anxious to leave but Garrett asks her to have breakfast with him and she agrees. She then tells him that she is only in New York for 6 weeks and is not looking for a relationship and he agrees with her stating that he had just got out of one and wants this to be casual.

Erin and Garrett start having a 'casual' fling but it started to get deeper for them causing Erin to try to convince her boss to find her a more permanent position and even covers a story and writes an amazing article, this causes her boss to ask her to contact him in January and ask for a job. Meanwhile Garrett, who works at a label, is given an assignment to manage a band he does not like at all and is starting to dislike his job. They both continue with their fling, however when the six weeks are up they find it difficult to let go. After Garrett drives Erin to the airport they say goodbye, but just as Erin is about to leave Garrett runs after her and tells her that he is crazy about her and wants to have a long distance relationship with her. She agrees.

Over the next couple of months Erin and Garrett spend all their free time texting and calling one another trying to work out times when one of them can fly in. Garrett surprises Erin by showing up on Thanksgiving and they have a very emotional reunion. When they go to Erin's sister's house (where Erin is currently staying) they start to have passionate sex on the dining table while (unbeknownst to them Erin's sister's husband was having dinner) Erin's sister eventually walks in and there is an awkward moment. The next day when Erin and Garrett are out to seeThe Boxer Rebellion they both note how good the band is. Garret gets jealous when he see that Erin is friends with Damon, who is a handsome bartender that works with her. Garrett eventually has to leave and goes back to New York.

In January, Erin calls her summer internship boss and asks him about the job he mentioned. He, however, tells her they are not hiring, to which she gets very frustrated. Not finding comfort in a phone conversation with Garrett she goes and gets drunk with Damon and almost kisses him but ends up going home. Later, her professor mentions that he recommended her for a position at the Chronicle in San Francisco and she goes for an interview. Meanwhile, Garrett is going crazy because he misses Erin. Following the advice of his co-worker he has phone sex with Erin but it doesn't go well.

A month later as Erin is packing to go to New York she gets a call from the newspaper and is told that she is hired. She goes to New York and tells Garrett and the two have a fight. The next day however they make up and he asks her to make the decision whether or not she would accept the job. A week later he calls her and tells her he wants her to move to New York and he'll buy an apartment for them and start fresh. She agrees and he goes down to San Francisco to sort things out. However, after a conversation with Erin's sister Garrett realizes that he cannot be the reason that Erin turns down the job and the two part ways after an emotional conversation.

Six months later Erin is doing well with her career and Garrett has not been with any women since Erin. He quits his job and starts managingThe Boxer Rebellion (the first band he and Erin saw together). He sends Erin tickets to their show and she goes there (not knowing he was the manager). She runs into him there and the two exchange love vows and he tells her he moved to Los Angeles that is only an hour away from San Francisco and the film ends with the two of them making up.

Beauty and the Briefcase

ABC Family’s made for TV romantic comedy, Beauty and the Briefcase is sticky sweet, and completely unbelievable, but it’s exactly what you want from a rom-com: fluffy pink fun that wraps up in a neat little bow.

Debuting this Sunday at 8 p.m. ET,Beauty stars Hilary Duff as fashion journalist Lane Daniels, who dresses like Elle Woods but is not nearly as smart. Case in point: when we meet Lane, she’s one of those annoying single girls in New York who is in her early 20’s and complains that not one guy in her life meets the qualities that she’s laid out in her “checklist.” Of course, those checklist items don’t have anything to do with honestly or loyalty or family values or anything else a real girl actually cares about. Lane’s list includes items like “sexy accent” and “witty statements on the tip of his tongue.” And, Lane’s “magic man” must have all 10 ridiculous things on her list.

Lane is a struggling freelancer who worships Cosmopolitan magazine — and when she lands a “pitch meeting” at her dream publication, she’s giddy with excitement. But when her meeting with Cosmo editor Kate White (played by Jamie Pressly) starts to bomb, she starts (yet again) complaining about her lack of a boyfriend, only to stumble upon the idea to write about finding love in the business world. Kate puts Lane on the task: get a job in “business,” and date men in suits. One of them must be her magic man! But when Kate ominously says, “You must date no one else,” you know something is going to go wrong. (Fun fact: one her way to the Hearst building, Lane stops in the crosswalk and bumps into the real Kate White. Also, in real life, Kate White is happily married.)

Somehow, Lane manages to bungle her way into a job at investment company Thomson/Fullworth and scores tons of dates with guys in suits, even though her “flirting” technique just seems to be wearing brightly colored, tight skirts and tops and saying, “Hi.” Along the way she meets some eligible men, like her boss Tom (Michael McMillian) and cutie co-worker Seth (Matt Dallas), but when she meets British music producer Liam (Chris Carmack) at a bar (and he doesn’t wear suits!) a wrench gets thrown into her plan.

Like all good romantic comedies, though, Beauty concludes with a happy ending, and a carriage ride through Central Park. And Lane learns that sometimes your “magic man” can take you by surprise. Yes, ladies, it’s true. You can find love with a man who isn’t all those things you wanted your dream guy to be back when you were in college.

Love at First Hiccup

LOVE AT FIRST HICCUP is a charming, innocent, and intelligent romantic comedy about the freshman Victor who has contracted a case of Anya-itis (acute and incurable love-passion for high school senior Anya). And why shouldn't he? She is beautiful and popular. Rich but incredibly sweet with a rare innocence. In other words: Way out of Victor's league. Unfortunately Anya also dates a rich guy, Peter, who drives a fancy lotus and has a stuffed Gucci wallet. However chance meetings riddled with awkward hiccups soon makes sparks fly between Anya and Victor. Maybe Victor's shy and goofy charm can beat out Peters arrogance?

The Visitor

Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is a widowed Connecticut College economics professor who lives a fairly solitary existence. He fills his days by sometimes taking piano lessons in an effort to emulate his late wife, a classical concert pianist, and infrequently works on a new book. When he is asked to present a paper at an academic conference at New York University, he is not enthusiastic to make the trip, given he is only the nominal co-author and has never even read the complete work. Charles (Michael Cumpsty), his department head, insists and Walter is forced to attend.

When he arrives at the apartment he maintains in Manhattan, he is startled to discover a young unmarried couple living there, having rented it from a swindler who claimed it was his. They are Tarek (Haaz Sleiman), a Palestinian-Syrian^[5] djembe player, and Zainab (Danai Jekesai Gurira), a Senegalese designer of ethnic jewelry. He later discovers both are illegal immigrants. Although they have no place to go, they hastily pack and leave, but Walter follows them and persuades them to return. Over the next few days, a friendship slowly develops. Tarek teaches Walter to play the drum, and the two men join a group of others at a regular drum circle inCentral Park.

En route home, Tarek is mistakenly charged with subway turnstile jumping, arrested for failing to pay his fare, and taken to a detention center for illegal immigrants in Queens. In order to prevent Tarek's deportation from the United States, Walter hires an immigration lawyer. Feeling uncomfortable about remaining in the apartment with Walter, Zainab moves out to live with relatives in The Bronx.

Tarek's mother, Mouna (Hiam Abbass), unexpectedly arrives from her home in Michigan when she is unable to contact her son. Also in the States illegally, she accepts Walter's offer to stay in the apartment, and the two develop a friendship. Walter confesses his life is unfullfilling; he dislikes the single course he has taught for twenty years, and the book he allegedly is writing is nowhere near completion. It is revealed that Mouna's journalist husband died following a lengthy politically-motivated imprisonment in Syria, and she is concerned about her son's future prospects if he is deported. The two begin to share a simple domestic existence, with Mouna preparing meals and Walter treating her to The Phantom of the Opera when she mentions her love for the original cast recording Tarek sent her as a gift.

Without warning, Tarek is summarily deported to Syria, and Mouna decides to follow him. On their final night, Mouna joins Walter for a comforting embrace in bed, blaming herself for all that has gone wrong. Walter sees her off at the airport the next day. Alone once again, Walter plays his drum on a subway platform, as Tarek once told him he himself would like to do some time.

She's Out of My League

Kirk Kettner (Jay Baruchel) is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in his mid-20s who has low self-esteem and, by his own admission, has not accomplished very much in life. He works at thePittsburgh International Airport as a Transportation Security Administration officer, and hopes of becoming a pilot one day. He tries to get back together with his self-centered ex-girlfriend, Marnie (Lindsay Sloane). Marnie ended her relationship with Kirk two years ago and is highly dismissive of his continued romantic interests after his latest pursuit. However, she has remained close with Kirk's parents (Debra Jo Rupp and Adam LeFevre) and overbearing brother Dylan (Kyle Bornheimer), continues to participate in family activities along with her new boyfriend Ron, and even lives with Kirk's parents. He has three close male friends who also work at the airport: Stainer (T. J. Miller), Devon (Nate Torrence), and Jack (Mike Vogel).

Then at work one morning, a beautiful woman, Molly McCleish (Alice Eve), arrives at the passenger terminal for a flight to New York. While proceeding through security, her striking looks attract unwanted attention and harassment from several male employees. Kirk is the only employee to treat her courteously. She and Kirk exchange a few innocuous words, and she then proceeds to her flight, accidentally leaving her phone in the airport security area. Upon realizing she has misplaced it, Molly calls her phone and Kirk, back at the security checkpoint, answers. The two arrange for a time to meet the following evening so that he may return the phone to her.

The following night, Kirk arrives at the Andy Warhol Museum where Molly, a professional event planner, is running a party. Devon accompanies Kirk to the Museum where Kirk returns Molly her phone. After returning the phone, both stay and meet Katie, Molly's sister. Katie then on purpose causes Kirk to spill his drink on the museum director and is asked to leave the museum for being uninvited for the party. Molly offers tickets to Kirk to the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game at the Mellon Arena as an apology. Molly then subsequently gets herself invited to Kirk's family lunch. This incurs jealousy in Marnie, who feels upstaged by Molly's looks and takes a sudden interest in Kirk again. Stainer, ranking-obsessed, tells Kirk that on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 meaning the most attractive and successful, he's a 5, and Molly a 10, and that a relationship does not work if the difference is more than 2. Molly's friend and business partner Patty (Krysten Ritter) is also surprised: she phoned Molly while on a date with Kirk to allow her an opportunity to make up an excuse to leave, but that was not needed.

In Molly's house, while the two are making out, Kirk ejaculates in his pants, just before her parents arrive. While avoiding to show that he had ejaculated, he avoids standing up and quickly leaves to avoid Molly and her parents noticing what happened. This cools down the relationship, but when Kirk later explains during an airshow what happened, things are fine again. Molly's former boyfriend Cam tells Kirk that Molly has a defect and to avoid saying that she is perfect.

During a date, Kirk suggests to Molly to throw a birthday party for Katie. After the party, both of them go to Molly's place. Molly shows Kirk her webbed toes, which Kirk considers so minor that he decides that she is too perfect for him, and he breaks off the relationship. Kirk and Marnie resume their relationship and go on a family trip to Branson.

Stainer and Patty realize their mistake in telling Kirk and Molly it wouldn't work out; the friends convince Kirk that he is "a 10" too. They pull Kirk off his plane as he tries to leave with his family and Marnie, while Patty brings Molly to the airport. Kirk rejects Marnie and reunites with Molly. Later, as a surprise, he takes Molly on a trip in a small plane, with himself being the pilot; he has taken flying lessons.

Imagine Me and You

A romantic comedy with a twist. A woman gets married to her best friend to find herself eventually falling in love with the florist who did her flowers at her wedding. She begins to question her sexuality and most of all, her heart when she realizes that she can only choose between the man she married or the woman she fell in love with.

This movie’s philosophy is purely simple. It wraps around the idea of ‘love at first sight’ and spins a tale of unconventional romance, where Fate plays most of its role in the plot.

“Imagine Me and You” (IMAY) was released to a limited audience in the US and parts of the world. It’s movie poster hinted where the movie was obviously heading. Though, with such an approach to a lesbian movie, audiences felt more satisfied going out of the theatre than when they first went in, at that time filled with doubt and premature regret.

The good thing about it is that you will definitely not rue later after the movie is very well ended as mentioned in the paragraph before.

As far as romantic comedies go, IMAY does nothing but to give you the usual cheesy laughs and squirm-in-your seat moments. Ironically, it is also safe to say that IMAY is not pathetically lame to the extent that your boyfriend makes every desperate plea to leave the theatre (equally so since it features a girl-on-girl storyline which we know is one of the topic of particular liking for the male species).

In this lesbian love affair, where the attraction is so tempting in every scene for the two female leads, Piper Perabo plays Rachel who at the beginning feels so fervent about marrying her best friend, Heck (Matthew Goode). She cannot believe she’s finally taking that big step with someone she’s known her whole life and can’t wait to share the rest of her’s with him. She is understandably excited as she prepares for her walk down the aisle. Piper’s comedic stance is fairly commendable in most scenes as the sometimes clumsy woman that has become quite inherent in most female leads in rom-coms. As seen in one part at the start of the film, Piper decked out in her lovely white dress wears a worried look on her face whilst her father (Anthony Head) chatters on in excitement. The audience have been lead to believe she was starting to get cold feet but then the prognostic becomes false when in the next scene, we hear her asking for the car to be stopped before running into a McDonald’s to pee. Moving on, at the chapel, Heck meets with Luce (Lena Headey), the philosophical florist. She introduces herself as the person who did their flower arrangements. At the same time, Heck’s best man, the cliched single guy with a dying need to flirt with every girl he meets, tries to seize the opportunity to get acquainted with this lovely woman before him. At this point, Luce acts neutral toward his flirtations, giving not much away about her sexuality.

Come the walk down the aisle, Rachel walks with her father on her arm. Heck is looking lovingly from the front and so do the rest of the attendees. Luce, before the ceremony began sat with Rachel’s kid sister whom has become to like Luce a lot. When the wedding march starts to play, Luce suddenly feels compelled to remove herself from the place, but as she does so, she is also interested to know how the bride looks like. And with that,serves its purpose in introducing the two future lovers to each other. Both catch each others fleeting gaze, almost exuding that sudden overwhelming feeling of want. Needless to say, Rachel shrugs it off as nothing and continues to see herself being married to Heck.

Only at the after-party do Rachel and Luce meet, in a considerably tricky situation. Rachel had accidentally dropped her wedding ring into the huge jar of fruit punch. Luce steps in to save the day and a friendship is quickly formed.

Their friendship starts to escalate after an outing to a football match makes Rachel realize that she could be seriously infatuated with this woman whom she conveniently finds out from Heck is not straight. Rachel then finds herself in a precarious situation after throwing herself at Luce. She is drawn between her loyalty to Heck as a wife and her developing relationship with someone she finds herself smitte with.

Deducing this film, this tale of two women enraptured in love plays with such innocence that it does not leave out the whole point of a romantic comedy. The movie is undeniably brilliant in its own way. The certain correlation shared between these two women in love where both are in a torn position which ever way you see it shows how delicately woven this story is.

Piper Perabo’s British accent is laudable, suffice to say. She plays out the role quite comprehensibly which makes up for her lesser liked role as another lesbian in “Lost & Delirious”. Lena Headey’s portrayal in this film has earned her a lesbian icon status as well which I would not disagree with. She makes being gay look good. As for Matthew Goode, we can’t help but feel sorry for him. He plays his role as the sweet and understanding guy perfectly which makes the audience feel terrible about what it is to become of his character in the film if a happy ending exists. Anthony Head and Celia Imrie are also added bonuses in the film, so kudos to Ol Parker for casting them in.

On An Added Note: Not for anti-gays and staunch believers of the bible. If you persist to watch this movie, please do not ruin it for others who do not share the same views as you as this is a beautiful film.

Easy A

Easy A is easily one of the funniest comedies of the year. It’s witty, clever, silly, and is anchored by a breakthrough performance by star Emma Stone. Comedies set in high schools are usually a grind, but Easy A is the best one since 2004’s Mean Girls. The film even has some smart commentary on the nature of reputation in the digital age and how easier access to information hasn’t made it any easier to get to the truth, especially when a lie can be so much juicier. And in between its smart jokes and thoughtful subtext, Easy A also has a big heart. That’s essential when your protagonist is cashing in on pretending to be a skank.

If you can believe that a young woman as lovely as Emma Stone would go unnoticed by boys, then the central premise of her character Olive will work for you. Olive Penderghast is a whip-smart girl who is completely anonymous at her school until she tells a white lie about losing her virginity to a fictional community college student. This lie becomes even more inflated after a bullied gay student asks her to fake having sex with him so that the other students will think he’s straight and stop making his life a living hell. Even if Stone weren’t so damn lovable, the script is always does a good job of clearly showing that the clearly-not-stupid Olive is doing a somewhat-stupid thing for the right reasons.

The film effortlessly weaves in pop culture, technology, and yet never loses its beat on the smart joke. Too often, a film’s attempt to be hip is so transparent that the result is sad and awkward. Easy A doesn’t have that problem and its references always feel natural and organic to the story and setting.

But without the right actress cast as Olive, then the script and Will Gluck’s skilled direction would be stymied. Thankfully, Emma Stone not only carries Easy A, but does such an outstanding job that I’ll be shocked if she’s not A-list after this movie. Her comic timing and facial expressions are sublime and she shows the comedic talents of someone well beyond her years. She makes Olive’s intelligence charming instead of abrasive and isn’t afraid to embrace the insecurities of her character. Let us hope that this is the first of many leading roles for this talented young actress.

Stone could carry this movie on her own, but she’s backed up by a wonderful supporting cast, most notably Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson who play Olive’s parents. They’re the parents we all wish we could have, not just cool and understanding, but damn funny. Tucci and Clarkson’s interplay with each other and with Stone is so natural that I would love to see a spinoff that just focused on Mr. and Mrs. Penderghast.

The film takes its title from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Olive relates to protagonist Hester Prynne and her public condemnation for adultery. As an act of rebellion, Olive sews the letter “A” risque pieces of clothing and wears it proudly. When her English teacher asks why she’s wearing the letter, Olive smirks and says, “Oh, it’s for awesome.” If all high school comedies were like Easy A, the world would be a better place, or at least a funnier one. The script is outstanding, Gluck’s direction had me heading out to see his previous film Fired Up!, and the film is worth seeing for Stone’s performance alone even though the whole cast is terrific. “Awesome,” indeed

American Beauty

The beauty in American culture is in its dysfunctionality. That's the message in American Beauty, one of the more compelling film.

The movie is about Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), who sees no point to his existence: he is in a cold and frigid relationship with his wife Carolyn (Annette Bening); he barely talks to his daughter Jane (Thora Birch); and he has just been put on the firing line at his job. After meeting his new neighbour Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley) and smoking some pot (and not to mention becoming infatuated with Jane's high school classmate Angela (Mena Suvari)), Lester undergoes a remarkable transformation and decides to stop being a conformist. He quits his job, much to the chagrin of his wife, and begins to work at a Burger King. (So much for rebelling against the establishment.)

There is a great deal of suspense in this story line: we know the ending right at the beginning, that Lester will be dead in a year's time. How and why isn't revealed until the very last, and then too with a bit of a twist. The movie tries to tell us that conforming to a lifestyle dictated by society leads to dysfunctionality. But finding "freedom" as illustrated in the film isn't exactly great either.

As the movie proceeds, each of the characters undergo a transformation that breaks them out of their rut and enables them to proceed to the next level of existence. Each transformation is strikingly characterised by the movement between living a life in a numbing routine (for the sake of normalcy) and living a dynamic life where everything is uncertain and changing. But the more things change, the more they stay the same. At the end, only Lester has found "freedom" (in a rather permanent sort of way, I should add): Colonel Fitts (Chris Cooper), the homophobic father of Ricky is left to confront his own demons; Jane and Ricky head off to become professional drug dealers; Carolyn's transformation leaves her alone; and there is nothing to fix Angela's insecurity.

Every character in the film is a rich and memorable one. The acting is superb and the casting choice is excellent. Spacey gives one of his best performances (which is saying a lot, given his career record!). The first time directing effort by Sam Mendes is superlative. The cinematography, particularly during the shifts that occur when we are given a glimpse through Lester's lenses and the sudden (and absurd) switch back to reality is well done. There is also a tremendous amount of symbolism.

Its A Boy Girl Thing

I dunno why but I've been itching to watch this movie again. The 1st time I watched this movie was during my college days I guess and i really appreciated the movie. Basically because it has a very unique twist of love story.

Its a boy girl thing is a 2006 romantic comedy film starring Samaire Armstrong and Kevin Zegers,.

Nell Bedworth (Samaire Armstrong), a teenager nerd is not impressed with her neighbor and high school mate Woody (Kevin Zegers) though he is the most popular football player in school. Not only do their families belong to different social registers, the two teeners also have entirely different tastes and interests. Nell shows the manners of her middle class breeding, has no interest in anything physical, and is enthused about literature, especially Shakespeare and poetry. But Woody goes for ear-splitting music, is sometimes uncouth in his manners and has no predilection for anything intellectual. One fateful day on a visit to the science museum, they notice a statue of an ancient Aztec god of sorcery. The statue brings about a change in their genders. Upon waking up the following morning, Woody realizes he has the body and looks of Nell, and Nell finds herself in the body of Woody. This transformation brings about embarrassments and misadventures as each has to act according to his /her physical body and looks. Though they resent each other, they realize they have to do something fast because Woody (now Nell) has an important foot-ball match coming up and Nell (now Woody) has been accepted for an interview for entrance to Yale University. The movie shows how the two teenagers cope with their predicament.

Being teenage oriented, It's a Boy Girl Thing will interest and entertain young people, especially students in high school, despite the fact that it has a hackneyed premise (body switching) and it is utterly predictable. The movie has its light moments but most of the jokes are crude, overused and off-color. The two leads Armstrong and Zegers must be credited for their good performances, successfully giving life to their characters. But the others in the cast are just one-dimensional.

Most teenage comedies/romances anchor their jokes on sex and this movie is no exception. But one notices, with relief, that unlike most others of the same genre, It's a Boy Girl Thing does not show an acceptance or tolerance for pre-marital sex. There are no explicit sexual scenes. The movie also shows some values like having respect and love for parents. Most important, there is a realization on the part of the two leads that putting oneself in the place of another can bring about greater understanding of each other and that ultimately results in becoming better persons.

Eat Pray Love

For the many readers who liked Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, they will know that the title refers to the twelve months that the writer took out of her life to take stock, enjoy and marvel at the world, and to come kind of self-forgiveness and acceptance. She spent four months in Rome (eat), four months in India (pray) and four months in Bali (love). For those who did not read the book, the film is an opportunity for them to accompany Liz on her geographical, psychological and spiritual journey.

What makes the film easier for many audiences is the fact that Julia Roberts plays Liz Gilbert. Twenty years ago, she was the glamorous Pretty Woman. Ten years ago, she was the feisty saviour of victims, Erin Brockovich. Now she offers a character for women in mid-life who want to take an initiative to discover their better selves. Julia Roberts, looks beautiful at all times, but harried at first, becoming more radiant and then, without make up, her older, even plainer, self. Though we are conscious that it is Julia Roberts we are watching, she does transform herself into Elisabeth Gilbert making the journey credible.

Though the film is long, the first episodes are rather hurried, too hurried to really grasp the personalities of her husband who loves her (Billy Crudup) but whom she divorces, of her younger, actor partner (James Franco). We get glimpses (and during the journey some flashbacks) of the relationships and why they failed. Viola Davis is solid as her best friend.

Then the film settles down to indulge us with the vistas of Rome and plenty of food, glorious food, Italian-style. With good friends and learning the difference between entertainment and real pleasure (Italians pointing out that this is a mistake that busy Americans make), Liz puts on the kilos with happy abandon. And, then she is in India.

At the ashram in India, Liz assumes the dress styles, the rituals, the manual work of service (yes, that is Julia Roberts scrubbing floors), the silences, the hospitality and the meditative space that leads her to a conclusion that ‘God is within me, as me’, a reflection worth some more reflection. The film captures the colours of India, even at a wedding, and should entice happy visitors to Italy to take a second look at their affluent world in comparison with the poverty and hardships of India.

There is a standout sequence in the Indian episode, a clip that could stand alone for use in seminars on alcoholism and self-improvement. The writing of the film takes off and is brought to dramatic power by the performance of Richard Jenkins.

What do you do when you have purged yourself of some spiritual ailments? Go to Bali, seek the help of a wise man and some alternative healing – and allow yourself to fall in love. That requires inner freedom, an acknowledgement of past failures but, most importantly, discovering self-forgiveness. In the beauty of Bali and with Javier Bardem on hand, it is, after many difficulties, possible.

The trouble with Eat Pray Love is that one wants to respond to the character and how she handles her journey rather than sit back and accept the film and Liz Gilbert. This is very much a First World story, the aftermath of New Age fashions and the discovery of Eastern mystic practices if not Eastern religion. Very few (very few) women can take the time, let alone afford the time and expenses for such a journey. This is the spiritual trek of a wealthy woman. While holiday and break are necessary, and Liz is introduced to some mysticism and asceticism in India, we ask, ‘to what purpose?’. By the time she has come to terms with herself and found love, we wonder what the moral bases of her life consist of, what is the nature of her integrity and the tension between some absolutes she has discovered and the relative importance of principles to be held on to or discarded.

Many men in the audience have found sharing this journey a tedious movie experience. Many women will be encouraged to follow Elizabeth Gilbert in her search in as much as their means allow them. Her story, book and film, is at least an attempt, in a pluralist world that has become even more pluralist, to attempt a search for life values.

The Social Network

The Social Network explores the moment at which Facebook, the most revolutionary social phenomena of the new century, was invented—through the warring perspectives of the super-smart young men who each claimed to be there at its inception. The result is a drama rife with both creation and destruction; one that audaciously avoids a singular point of view, but instead, by tracking dueling narratives, mirrors the clashing truths and constantly morphing social relationships that define our time. Drawn from multiple sources, the film captures the visceral thrill of the heady early days of a culture-changing phenomenon in the making—and the way it both pulled a group of young revolutionaries together and then split them apart.

Movie Plot:

In 2003, Harvard University student Mark Zuckerberg has the idea to create a website to rate the attractiveness of female Harvard undergraduates after his girlfriend Erica Albright breaks up with him. Mark hacks into the databases of various residence halls, downloads pictures and names of female students and, using an algorithm for ranking chess players supplied by his best friend Eduardo Saverin (essentially the Elo rating system, written on a window pane recalling a scene of A beautiful mind), he creates in a few hours a website called "FaceMash.com", where male students can iteratively choose which of two girls presented at a time is more attractive.

Mark is punished with six months of academic probation after the traffic to the site brings down parts of Harvard's network, and becomes vilified among most of Harvard's female community. However, the popularity of "FaceMash" and the fact that he created it in one night, while drunk, brings him to the attention of Cameron Winklevoss and Tyler Winklevoss, identical twins and members of Harvard's rowing team, and their business partner Divya Narendra. As a result, he gains a job working for the Winklevoss twins as the programmer of their website, Harvard Connection.

Soon afterwards, Mark approaches his friend Eduardo and tells him of his idea for what he calls "Thefacebook", an online social networking website exclusive to Harvard University students. He explains this would let people share personal and social information securely. Eduardo agrees to help Mark, providing a thousand dollars to help start the site. Once complete, they distribute the link to Eduardo's connections at the Phoenix S-K final club, and it quickly becomes popular throughout the student body. When they learn of Thefacebook, the Winklevoss twins and Narendar believe that Zuckerberg stole their idea while simultaneously stalling on their website; Cameron and Divya want to sue Mark for intellectual property theft, but Tyler convinces them they can settle the matter as "Harvard gentlemen" without resorting to the courts.

At a lecture by Bill Gates, fellow Harvard University student Christy Lee introduces herself and her friend Alice to Eduardo and Mark. She asks that the boys "Facebook us", which impresses both of them. The girls invite them to a bar, where they have sex in the toilet. Mark later runs into his ex-girlfriend, who is not aware of The Facebook's existence because she is not a Harvard University student. Stung by this, Mark decides to expand the site to more schools. Christy, Mark, and Eduardo later return to Mark's room where they outline the structure of the company and their plan for moving forward.

As The Facebook grows in popularity, they expand to other schools in the Northeastern United States, while the Winklevoss twins and Narendra become angrier at seeing "their idea" advance without them. Tyler refuses to sue them, instead accusing Mark of violating the Harvard student Code of Conduct. Through their father's connections they arrange a meeting with Harvard President Larry Summers, who is dismissive and sees no potential value in either a disciplinary action or in Thefacebook website itself.

Through Christy Lee, now Eduardo's girlfriend, Eduardo and Mark arrange a meeting with Napster co-founder Sean Parker. When Christy, Mark and Eduardo meet Parker, Eduardo becomes skeptical of Parker, noting his problematic personal and professional history. Mark, however, is impressed with Parker since he presented a similar vision of Facebook. Although no deals are reached, Parker suggests that they drop "The" from Thefacebook to make it simply "Facebook".

Mark moves the company's base of operation to Palo Alto, at Parker's suggestion, while Eduardo remains in New York for seeking advertising support, When Eduardo visits from New York, he is angered to find that Parker is living at the house and making business decisions for Facebook. After an argument with Mark, Eduardo freezes the company's bank account and returns to New York. Upon returning, Christy and Eduardo argue about his Facebook profile, which still lists him as "single". Christy accuses Eduardo of cheating on her and sets fire to a scarf he gave to her as a gift. While Eduardo extinguishes the fire, Mark reveals on the phone that they have secured money from an angel investor through Parker's contacts. As a result of Christy's jealousy, Eduardo ends his relationship with her.

Meanwhile in England, while competing in the Henley Royal Regatta, the Winklevoss twins become outraged that Facebook has expanded to a number of universities there and decide to sue. Eduardo has also discovered the deal he signed with Parker's investors allows them to dilute his share of the company from a third to less than one tenth of one percent, while maintaining the ownership percentage of all other parties. He confronts his erstwhile friend Mark and announces his intention to sue him. Later that night, Parker, along with a number of Facebook interns, is arrested for possession of cocaine during a party thrown on the occasion of Facebook's 1 millionth member.

The framing device throughout the film shows Mark testifying in depositions in two lawsuits: one filed by the Winklevoss twins, and the other filed by Eduardo. In the final scene, a junior lawyer for the defense informs Mark they will be settling with Eduardo, since the sordid details of Facebook's founding and Mark's personality will make a jury highly unsympathetic. The film ends with Mark sending a friend request to his former girlfriend Erica on Facebook, and refreshing the page every few seconds waiting for a response.

Never Back Down

It was during a weekend that the movie NEVER BACK DOWN was shown on a cable channel. Avoiding not to get bored I have decided to watch the movie.

Jake Tyler (Sean Faris) is a tough and troubled teenager from Iowa . He belongs to a famous football high school team but resentfully has to give it up when his family relocates to Orlando for his younger brother’s tennis scholarship. All the while, Jake's mother (Leslie Hope) desperately tries to hold the family together as they mourn the recent loss of her husband. At his new high school, Jake develops a crush on Baja but gets humiliated and beaten by her current boyfriend and mixed martial arts champion, Ryan. To get even, Jake goes with his new friend, Max, to a local mixed martial arts guru, Jean Roqua (Djimon Hounsou who apparently can teach him to perfect his fighting skills. And in the process he learns not only to fight better but to become a better man.

What Karate Kid is to Karate, Never Back Down is to Mixed Martial Arts but without the values, the straightforward storytelling and funny and memorable scenes.As much as it tries to convey values such as temperance and discipline, it fails miserably with a flimsy plot, clicheic dialogues and stiff acting. It tries to create dynamic and exciting fight scenes with fast paced editing but loses its effectiveness with shots that are too tight and a choreography that is too plain. The effort to build a valid plot is drowned out by useless subplots and overrated violence of the underground sport. At some point also, one begins to wonder why the adults or the authorities do not intervene while young boys are made to compete like Roman gladiators as onlookers egg them on for blood and violence.

The film teaches young people that all problems can be handled by punching the offender in the face, and concedes to onlookers taking advantage of the situation with the use of technology (i.e.: cellphone cameras and the internet). The movie has no respect for the sport and looks down on the young. It portrays mixed martial arts as some underground spectacle for the hot-tempered and ill-mannered with no rules nor boundaries. The young people are portrayed as irritable, unreasonable, and disrespectful with no qualms about using other’s pain or downfall as entertainment.The movie has very little redeeming value and not worth the time and money one will waste to watch it.