Dan In Real Life (2007)

Any reason will do, just to watch Juliette Binoche.

At a glance:
Dan In Real Life (2007) is a soft holiday rom-com set in Rhode Island, starrin the questionable talent that is Steve Carell (pic, do we really need this guy?) and the unquestionable talent that is Juliette Binoche, both who form a believable, sensitive couple obviously drawn to each other after a chance meet but are held back by the latter's current relationship with an overcompensatin prick of a man, played by Dane Cook, whom I unfortunately remember from that chore of a movie My Best Friend's Girl.
Perennial wonderment:
If Juliette Binoche could star in another unforgettable French movie that somehow finds its way to the French Film Festival in Malaysia sometime before I expire?
Reminds me of:
Some place cold but cosy... like a holiday home I never had.
Watch out for:
Juliette Binoche's character doin some acrobatic gymnast stretchin against the body of Dane Cook's character durin a workout, as Steve Carell's character goes green with envy. O my days, is she really 45?
Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?
It's a straightforward 98-minute movie about how a widower finds out that the woman he falls for is his brother's girlfriend. It doesn't pretend to be better or bigger than it is; and it introduced me to eclectic Norwegian singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche, who provides all the tunes that make the movie. That critic guy Ebert says the songs are his only complaint about the film. I find them cheery. ★★★1/2

(500) Days Of Summer (2009)

At a glance:
Offbeat, dreamy and soundtrack-charged while amazingly maintainin a healthy distance from the dreaded teen genre we've come to loathe, this movie is a success story of sorts. Firstly, it walloped the sixth Harry Potter movie on a per-theatre basis when it went on limited release in the U.S. back in July. Then, there's multi-talented Zooey Deschanel (pic) who recently tied the knot (somethin her character found very difficult to do in the movie). Seems like everythin surroundin this gem of a date movie simple oozes positivity, down to the blue-centric colour palette used in the movie to bring out Deschanel's eyes! Told out of order with title cards to denote which days out of the titular 500 did the lovers do what, (500) Days Of Summer takes us through a serendipitous romance that is not so much witty as it is silly - but the winsome pairin of Deschanel with Joseph Gordon-Levitt (pic) as a suitor is at once disarmin and completely engagin. The male character Tom goes through courtship hell with his crush Summer, as we watch them through 95 clumsy but meaningful minutes of shower sex, Ikea shoppin and Brit pop discussions. There's even a delightful Bollywood-style musical sequence like what Toby Maguire did in Spider-Man 3.
Bad news on the doorstep:
Some elements took some shine away from the experience - plenty of tame humour and extended periods of pointless inactivity that could've been omitted. The assurin narrator who started us off on the story doesn't return to send us off on a happy endin either.
Reminds me of:
Walkin around Ikea with a male friend of mine after watchin Serendipity at 1 Utama. Gay.
Watch out for:
If you're watchin this in Malaysia, the word "penis" is cut from the park rendezvous, in case you're wonderin what that whole scene was about.
Most memorable line:
Aha! To protect you, I can't say.
Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?
Four stars. A strong finish. Prevailin social sentiments on contemporary romance elevate the movie from inoffensive to memorable. Some may wish there were 500 more of them days.

Up (2009)

At a glance:
Ebert has compared its characters to Jap animation maestro Hayao Miyazaki's, in that it uses a special touch to bring out the human best in a subject, rather than going for the usual cute cartoon animals. Also, instead of robots or teens, the movie features a very old person and a very young person, and a Japanese-American at that. You can't say Disney's resting on its laurels here. They're always trying to do somethin new.
Bad news on the doorstep:
However, as the critic expounds, the current 3-D trend in animation filmmakin will diminish the colour range, which are particularly complimentary in Up, as it were in Toy Story and Shrek. Although Disney's stories have always gone for substance anyway, it makes you wonder why 3-D is necessary for a non-action type film. Perhaps the very young need. Funny how somethin more advanced can actually be less rewardin.
I can't remember if I cried:
During the early Ellie-Carl sequence. In Up, themes of abandonment and death are visited in the most tender and tactful way; pavin way for cartoons to do more for kids, instead of just pushin colourful balloons in their faces. This is a step up from Wall-E, which marked the turnin of the tide where more mature content are now being presented (and accepted) in cartoons these days. Another pattern one can observe is that Disney is shiftin away from the big chorus of full soundtracks in their movies. Some old time nostalgia might have been lost with this move but the compensatin newfound maturity, realism and diversity in content are most welcome.
Reminds me of:
...
Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?
Dammit it's gotta be innit! Variety Online notes: "Michael Giacchino's full-bodied, traditional score is superlative, developin beautiful themes as it sweeps the action along on emotional waves." I find the music a most empowerin narrative that is singularly responsible for evokin many of the feelings this movie wants you to get. Up might even get you down at some point but rest assured Disney always keeps everythin afloat, in more ways than one.