Monday, November 23, 2015

The Longest Ride (2015): cuci mata fest :)



The Trailer:


The Movie:


The Plot:
Luke Collins (Scott Eastwood) is a bull rider on the Professional Bull Riders tour, who is seriously injured one night while competing. A year later after recovering, he starts riding again and meets Sophia Danko (Britt Robertson) after she attends the show at the urge of her friend (Melissa Benoist). She is an art lover living at a sorority house with an internship secured in New York City. On the way home from their first date, they spot a car crash in the woods and help rescue an older man who is stuck inside. Sophia also pulls a wooden box from the vehicle.

While in the hospital, Sophia continuously visits the man she and Luke rescued, Ira Levinson (Alan Alda). He explains that there are letters in the box, which he wrote as a teenager, and she offers to read them to him. They tell the story of how he met his late wife, Ruth (Oona Chaplin), in 1940. Their stories start to interweave. Luke finds an old photograph of Ira and Ruth that fell out of the box in his car and takes it to him at the hospital. In flashbacks, Ruth tells a young Ira (Jack Huston) that she wants a big family and, eventually, he proposes to her before leaving to fight in World War II. However, Ira is shot during an attack and is later informed by the doctor that he can no longer have children, news that causes distance between him and Ruth when he returns because he knows how much she wants to be a mother. They decide to make it work regardless and move in together, decorating the house with many paintings that Ruth loves.

Luke continues riding bulls, no matter the risk of being hurt again, while he and Sophia fall in love. Ira is now out of hospital and has been moved to a nursing home, where Sophia continues to visit. She gets a call from her boss in New York asking her to attend an art exhibit in Charlotte the following week, which she invites Luke to. While they're there, Luke makes a rude comment to Sophia's boss, which causes an argument between them. They talk about how their worlds are so different and Luke doesn't feel the relationship will work because of it. Back home, Sophia goes to Ira for advice. He then tells the story of how they made their situation work. Ruth was a school teacher who became very attached to a young boy in her class. Because he comes from a broken family, her and Ira begin taking him in as their own and, eventually, Ruth decides she wanted to adopt him but his guardians wouldn't allow it.

Meanwhile, Luke injures himself again, causing him to be rushed to the hospital. As Sophia is leaving for New York, she gets a call and goes to see him. Luke is told he can never ride again but refuses to accept that his career is over. Following an argument, Luke and Sophia break up. In flashbacks, Ira and Ruth also break up because she can't see a life with him without children in their future. However, weeks later, Ruth returns and they confess their love for one another. One morning, now eighty-years-old, Ira wakes up to find Ruth has died in her sleep. He boxes up all of the paintings they collected together to sell them at an auction. One night, a woman knocks on his door claiming to be the wife of Daniel McDonald, the child they almost adopted when they were younger, to inform him that he has died. She gives him a portrait of Ruth that Daniel had painted and the photograph Daniel had kept of Ira and Ruth (the one Luke found in his car the day of the crash) with a message on the back that reads: "Ruth Levinson, third grade teacher. She told me I could be anything I wanted to be when I grew up". Daniel became a professor, taking after Ruth.

Sophia continues her studies at Wake Forest and Luke continues to ride bulls. One day, they both receive a phone call from Ira's attorney, to inform them that Ira has died and that there will be an auction held for the paintings. Luke wins his last ride, but feels disappointed because Sophia isn't there with him. He then decides to go to the auction, where he buys the first painting, Daniel's portrait of Ruth. Sophia and Luke talk, and he tells her he won't ride anymore because what he really wants is to be with her. While they kiss , an uproar breaks out in the auction room. Luke is informed that he is now the owner of all of Ira's paintings since Ira left a message in his will stating that whoever bought the portrait would get them all since it was the most important one to him, making Luke very wealthy in the process.

A year later Luke and Sophia, now married, have built a museum dedicated to Ira and Ruth and the ranch is saved. Luke takes Sophia to the old college where Ira and Ruth used to spend their anniversary.

Review:
I admit, I watched this movie because I'm such a fan of SE, hahahah.. sue me if you want :)

at first, the movie was rather slow to my taste but it picked up in the middle, when the flashbacks start coming in.. maybe because the pairing of BR and SE lacks the chemistry. I would have casted another actress other than BR because her portrayal of Sophia is rather tepid, lacking the warmth that Ruth has on the other hand. even Melissa Benoist shows more warmth than her and she's just a supporting character.

the movie captured the bull riding profession quite nicely, i mean, i could understand the risk involved in it and the rush that made Luke unable to quit. it's dangerous yet it draws you in.. i don't know how they film it but damn, it have been difficult.. in reality, it must have been more challenging, right? hat's off to all the cowboys in the ring, y'all!

the ending is just convenient, don't you think.. Sophia had played such a great part in the remaining time of Ira's life. if it's left to me, i would just hand the paintings over to her instead of auctioning it off to strangers and leaving nothing to her.. but then, as I said, the ending is convenient, leaving the money instead to Luke who somewhat impulsively bought Ruth's portrait. and doesn't it bothers you that the first letter Sophia read is the first that Ira had written to Ruth? and every letter that they read as they pick randomly from the box is consequent too? how convenient..

this film is just so-so.. but SE's good look makes up a lot on my rating, muahahaha








oh manisnya, manisnya senyumanmu :D



Ira and Ruth are convincing as a couple, loving and connected


Man Up (2015): refreshing!





The Trailer:


The Plot:
When a man (Simon Pegg) mistakes her for his blind date, a woman (Lake Bell) decides to play along to see what happens. they spend their time together and have so much fun  that Nancy dreads telling Jack that she's not Jessica, not really..





it boils down to having Nancy's longtime adulator, Sean (Rory Kinnear) to blackmail Nancy in the toilet that finally the ruse is out.. Jack is furious at the deception but Nancy tries to reason with him that she is just taking her chances with him.. she's 34 already and for once, she's being impulsive. they continue to snap at each other until Jack realizes that his bag is left at the cantina with Nancy's diary in it. they race each other for it and arriving, Jack's bitterness over the deception simply simpers down.. he tries to be cordial to Nancy until the arrival of his divorced wife, Hilary and the man she was having affair with simply annoyed him. Jack passes Nancy off as his girlfriend and good naturedly, she just plays along. once Hilary lets it out to Nancy that it was she who was having an affair during the marriage, Nancy sees Jack on a different light and sets out to help him out. they flirt and dance it off to make Hilary jealous.


on the dance floor, Jack and Nancy converse about each other, this time more openly seeing each other's faults. it hurt Nancy badly that Jack is able to see her cynic view of life. it makes her think of herself. they then proceed to drink a shot together with Hilary  and Ed. Ed's coat suddenly gets caught in the fire and Nancy, having lied about being a firefighter is trusted to put off the fire only to spurt the nozzle towards Hilary and Ed both..

the laugh over the incident brings Jack and Nancy close again that as they go to the Waterloo Station where Jack is supposed to meet the real Jessica, Nancy mumbles about inviting Jack over to her parents' 40th anniversary party. Jack obviously doesn't catch up with the invitation as he's excited over meeting the 24-year-old Jessica. they part in good faith as Nancy kiss Jack's cheek.

at her parents' house, over the jubilant mood of the party, Nancy simply breaks down and cries over losing Jack much to the consternation of her family. on the other hand, Jack finally meets up with Jessica (Ophelia Lovibond) and discovers that the chemistry is not there between them. he ends up telling her about Nancy and she encourages him to find her.

remembering that Sean is the only link to Nancy, Jack finds him at the bowling alley. Sean drives him to a house and drops him off. only for Jack to find out that he's at a wrong house where a party of young people is going on. thankfully, a boy (Dean-Charles Chapman) there knows where Nancy used to live. Jack then leads the whole bunch of boys and girls to Nancy's parents' house where he finally makes a speech about how he feels. to which Nancy answers, quid pro quo :)

Review:
I adore this movie. it is funny, heartfelt and honest. Jack and Nancy are so believable and the chemistry between both of them is just right.. Sean is disgusting, thank you. and the fact that there is a boy in a random party (Tommen of GoT no less) who knows where once Nancy lived simply boggled my mind.

this movie makes me pine, the way a great romantic movie does, for a really great guy like Jack.. he's not frighteningly attractive, and has his failings, yet somehow, the heart simply connects, regardless. it doesn't take weeks, months nor years, a day would suffice..

me = hopeless romantic.

one thing that I really love about this movie is that it puts LB as the person who withholds the truth. usually it is a guy thing who simply decides to play the ruse, this time it's a woman's role, which is I find a refreshing twist. mind you, at age 34 myself, given the situation, I would too, within a heart beat. because Jack seems awfully like a nice person. he's charming on the get go and they simply click off from the start. I would like to find out where it would lead, don't you too? take chances, put yourself out there, or like Nancy chants over and over "get stronger thighs"

hehehe

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Terminator Genisys: truly enjoyable, can't wait for the sequel!


Trailer:


Plot:
In 2029, Human Resistance leader John Connor (Jason Clarke) launches a massive final offensive against Skynet, an artificial general intelligence system seeking to eliminate the human race. Before the Resistance wins the offensive, Skynet activates a time machine and sends back a T-800 Terminator to 1984 to kill John's mother, Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke). John's right-hand man, Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney), volunteers to travel back in time to protect her. As Kyle floats in the machine's magnetic field, he witnesses John being attacked by another Resistance soldier (Matt Smith). He then has visions from his childhood about events in 2017.

Upon arrival in 1984, Skynet's T-800 is disabled by Sarah and the Guardian (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a reprogrammed T-800 sent to protect her when she was nine years old. Kyle arrives a short time later and is immediately attacked by a T-1000 (Lee Byung-hun). Sarah and the Guardian join Kyle and destroy the T-1000 using acid. Sarah and the Guardian reveal they have constructed a makeshift time machine similar to Skynet's, and that Sarah plans to travel to 1997 – the year Skynet becomes self-aware. Realizing the timeline has been altered, Kyle is convinced that the future has changed due to the warning he received in his childhood vision. He persuades Sarah to travel to 2017 instead to stop Skynet.

In 2017, Kyle and Sarah materialize in the middle of a busy San Francisco highway and are apprehended by city police. While being treated for injuries, Sarah and Kyle learn that Skynet is called "Genisys", a soon-to-be-unveiled global operating system that is being embraced by the public. John Connor appears and rescues Sarah and Kyle, but the Guardian appears and immediately shoots John, revealing that John is an advanced T-3000 Terminator. While Kyle was being sent back through time, a T-5000 (Smith), the physical embodiment of Skynet disguised as a member of the Resistance, attacked John and transformed him into a Terminator. John was tasked with ensuring Cyberdyne Systems' survival and traveled back in time to assist them with the development of Genisys.

Able to escape to a safe house, Sarah, Kyle, and the Guardian make final preparations to destroy Cyberdyne's Genisys mainframe. They head toward Cyberdyne's headquarters with the T-3000 in close pursuit. During an airborne chase, the Guardian divebombs into the T-3000's helicopter, causing it to crash. The T-3000 survives the crash and enters the Cyberdyne complex, where it advances the countdown from 13 hours to 15 minutes. Kyle, Sarah and the Guardian plant bombs at key points in the facility while holding off the T-3000.

In a final battle, the Guardian traps the T-3000 in the magnetic field of a prototype time machine. Both are destroyed, but just prior to the explosion, the T-3000 throws the remains of the Guardian into an experimental vat of mimetic polyalloy located nearby. Kyle and Sarah reach a bunker beneath the facility, and the explosion sets off the bombs, successfully preventing Genisys from coming online. The Guardian appears, upgraded with mimetic polyalloy components similar to that of the T-1000, and helps them find a way out of the debris.

The trio travels to Kyle's childhood home, where Kyle tells his younger self about Genisys and instructs him to repeat the warning in a mirror – critical insurance that the events lead to their arrival in 2017. Sarah, Kyle and the Guardian drive off into the country. A mid-credits scene reveals that the system core of Genisys was located in a protected subterranean chamber and has survived the explosion.

Review:

I much love the way the franchise was further developed, giving more chance for the storyline to evolve. like what Skynet's soldier whispered to John Connor, "do you think it will be this easy, don't you?". And tell you what, it is simply remarkable what the future holds right? imagine the possibilities!

Pops is funny

haha.. the twist. so the plot thickens, much enjoyably. I love the chemistry that Sarah has with Kyle, as well as her genuine affection for Pops, the Guardian. JC as Kyle is somewhat funny and macho.. I know that I have a rather active dislike for him after watching Divergent. in that film he was positively sadistic that I really hate him on sight. but somehow, this film managed to portray him as a really likable person.. gee, he was that good, ok.

the chemistry between the three is just right!

I have some issues though with John Connor's strategy to hunt his parents down. I mean, if it was me, I would just wait them out at Genisys' headquarters for surely they will come to the location to destroy Genisys. plus, for a very sophisticated industrial place, the security is so dismal. a helicopter crashed within the vicinity yet no peek from the police officers nor the security in charge? weird huh.

plus, I would like T-1000 to at least have a dialogue or two. it would have lent the actor, Lee Byung-hun some opportunity to diversify his acting chops. unlike having an emotional range of a teaspoon, so to speak.

moreover, this following pix just capture my mind blowing reaction. surely it will be so hard for Sarah to not only grab Pops' hand but also to keep holding Kyle and a bag of artillery as well. so kuat owh!

kuat giler tangan sarah connor
but EC does portray a strong female lead to a tee. she doesn't squirm or break down yet at times she does have her girlish moment. especially when Kyle is in concern, hahaha


for its entertainment value and clever reengineering of the storyline, I applaud this movie and will simply keep my eyes open for its sequel. truly! I mean, I couldn't miss their love story, couldn't I? :grin:

walking into sunset. huh..

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Comet: kinda confusing but it had some good moments

Trailer:



Movie:



Plot:
After meeting by chance at meteor shower, pessimist Dell (Justin Long) and insightful Kimberly (Emmy Rossum) begin a 6 year journey through a relationship that blooms and fades over time. The movie is shown through glimpses of parallel universes and flashbacks that are not chronologically ordered, showing the viewer the progression and depression of their intricate relationship.



Review:
The timelines are convoluted that I failed to determine which is after which.. Even wiki is unable to help. so sorry. I'll expand the plot part when I get to watch this movie again later. one thing that I particularly like about Dell's characterization is that he is so forthcoming. he just says what he wants to say regardless of the outcome. like asking for Kimberley's number outright in front of her date for the meteor shower. nasib baik mamat tu tak hempuk je dia kat situ, hahaha..

I love the cinematic shots of this film. and the way JL and ER looks different effortlessly for each timeline.. Dell also has some memorable quips. what I really don't love is Kimberley's moodswings. they are simply too much to handle.

update -> after watching this movie for a second time, now only did I understand the story. and it's kinda good. a love story of two f-up person. Dell falls in love Kimberley because she's a little crazy, which is perfect for him, he thought. little did he know, the craziness in her drove his already neurotic self into despair when they fought over simplest miniscule things.

Dell taught Kim to lie, because he believed lies are always there in a relationship, so better make up some lies, as they progress into their relationship.. only to have that belief bit them in the ass, causing fights and break-ups when both parties can't handle the lies. truth to be told, Dell is the one that can't handle the lies. he flew off the handle so quickly, being that pessimistic. it's only lucky that in the end, he managed to finally get over his pessimism and stupid 5 minutes rule, to realize Kimberley's lie about Jack and her pregnancy.

sigh.. so many drama. the first time watching it, I couldn't get over my disappointment of Kimberley's behavior at the hotel in Paris. the second time watching it, I disliked Dell's rash behavior even more. he shouldn't have flushed the ring into the toilet in fits of anger. it's as if he doesn't really want to get married.

all in all, it made you reflect on relationship. Dell was often worried that he will miss good things in life, not to realize that it was his actions caused him to miss it.. like the way he missed the comet shower and the right moment to propose. to make it work in life, you have to grab the moment and not let the worries distract you.. just like the ending of this film :)


 
sad :'(