Percy Jackson: Sea of monsters

Cast: Logan Lerman, Douglas Smith, Brandon Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Leven Ramblin, Jake Abel, Stanley Tucci, Nathan Fillion, Paloma Kwiatkowski; Director: Thor Freudenthal; Story:  based on the book Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan;  Screenplay: Marc Guggenheim; Producer: Michael Barnathan, Karen Rosenfelt;  Music: Andrew Lockington; Genre: Fantasy/Adventure; Running Time: 107 minutes;  Distributor: 20^th Century Fox ; Location: USA

Technical assessment:  3

Moral assessment:  3

MTRCB rating:  PG13

CINEMA rating:  V14  (For viewers aged 14 and above)

The second instalment of the Percy Jackson adventures, as based loosely on Rick Riordan’s novels, picks up in Camp Half-Blood, a haven and training ground for demigods. The movie opens with Percy (Logan Lerman), the son of Poseidon, narrating the sacrifice of young Thalia (Paloma Kwiatkowski) and Zeus’ reward for her actions. Apparently, a pine tree that now emits a magical protective shield grew through her body.  In the camp, a friendly tournament among the demigods is taking place and ends with Clarisse (Leven Ramblin), daughter of Ares and Percy’s rival, winning once again because Percy had to go all the way back to the start to save a fellow competitor. This leaves Percy silently resentful of not being able to be perceived as a champion or winner. However, he keeps his feelings in check and humbly takes on a cleaning assignment from the Camp Master Dionysus (Stanley Tucci). Percy is introduced to camp newcomer a cyclops, Tyson (Douglas Smith), another son of his father Poseidon, and receives more humiliating moments as camp residents rudely stare at his one-eyed half-brother.  Later, Luke Castellan (Jake Abel), Hermes’ son and the antagonist of the series, attacks the camp and poisons Thalia’s magic tree which endangers the existence of the entire camp. Dionysus sends Clarisse on a quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece to heal the tree. But Percy learns of a prophesy saying a demigod and child of one of the Big Three Gods (Zeus, Poseidon and Hades) will save or destroy Mount Olympus. He assumes the prophesy refers to him, sets off with his friend Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario), daughter of Athena, his satyr protector Grover Underwood (Brandon T.Jackson) and his half-brother Tyson to find the Fleece, stop Luke from resurrecting the Titan Kronos and destroying Mount Olympus.

A mark of a good movie adaptation is its ability to stand on its own merits, whether or not viewers have read the original book. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is somewhat in between. It gives enough highlights from the book but does not confuse the audience with the side stories and character backstories which are not fully developed. Although the fans of Rick Riordan would complain that the movie version is so different from the original novel and in a sense loses its mythological mystique, the first time viewer can appreciate it as it is and find it worthy enough to try to watch the first movie just so the context is better grasped.  As always, Hollywood has perfected the computer generated effects, and even if audiences already expect this kind of magic, the special effects are still powerful and commendable. The greatest value of the movie lies in the seamlessness of the post production works. Performances and the script are a little predictable and shallow but they work nonetheless. Over-all, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters may not belong to the “must watch films” but is enjoyable and worth the effort.

 There are two lessons to be derived from the film. First, the value of family. Percy did not see Tyson as a worthwhile brother but realized that looks and lineage are of little consequence. He also thought that his father does not listen and later on realized that it was his father guiding him all along. Families stick together, stay together and help each other all the time. Family here does not merely refer to blood relatives because at the end of the day, rivals Clarisse and Percy supported each other to succeed in their quest to save the camp. Second, the value of sacrifice. Thalia bravely fought the monster Cyclops to give her friends a chance to escape at the expense of her life. Percy gave up winning against Clarisse in the tournament because someone needed his help. In the end, despite wanting so much to be recognized for his heroic contribution to the quest, he gave the honors of retrieving the Golden Fleece to Clarisse as it was her original quest. It is never about just winning but doing good and being humble about it—a magnanimity of heart that is the mark of a true hero. 

The internship

LEAD CAST:  Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Rose Byrne, Maz Minghella, Joanna Garcia, John Goodman, Dylan O’Brien, Jessica Szohr  DIRECTOR:  Shawn Levy  SCREENWRITER: Vince Vaughn, Jared Stern  PRODUCER:  Vince Vaughn, Shawn Levy  EDITOR:  Dean Zimmerman  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Christophe Beck  GENRE: Drama, Comedy  RUNNING TIME:  119 minutes  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Jonathan Brown  DISTRIBUTOR:  20^th Century Fox  LOCATION:  US

Technical assessment:  3

Moral assessment:  3

MTRCB rating:  PG 13

CINEMA rating:  PG 13 (for age 13 and below with parental guidance)

Practically all their life Billy (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Owen Wilson) have been salesmen. They sell watches, but now their employer says nobody needs watches anymore in this digital world, so he shuts down the company.  In need of a job, having few options and wanting to prove they still have the oomph to succeed, they defy the odds, and naively chatter their way into a coveted internship at Google where they become oddballs among tech-savvy college students.  However, gaining a foothold in this dream company is just the beginning of two mid-lifers’ uphill climb.  Seen as dinosaurs in the Google universe, they must now go into battle with techie geniuses half their age, virtually armed with mere sticks and stones.

The Internship is almost entirely shot in the actual Google facility fondly called “Googleplex”, giving viewers a field trip to a utopia that many tech-savvy kids dream of belonging in.  Outside of Vaughn and Wilson, composing the supporting cast are unfamiliar faces with adequate acting skills, giving the impression that the viewer is actually there with those bushy-tailed college kids and imbibing of Google’s corporate culture.  The plot is easy to follow, aided by tight editing and dialogue that needs no padding for substance.  Although it is the Wilson-Vaughn chemistry that obviously carries the story, the script fairly gives each actor his or her moment to shine.       

Although a number of film critics think The Internship is one long commercial for Google,  CINEMA begs to disagree.  Google is bigger than the movie, and does not need props to keep it up.  The story with its casually delivered but sobering message couldn’t have been told more effectively and convincingly outside of Google’s universe.  In fact it’s telling young people that tech-savvy is not enough; one can get smart, too, from years of being in the “university of hard knocks.”  The Internship is prodding us to take a second look at our biases, busting our prejudices and asking us to keep hoping for equality in this world. The Internship shows us that for a team to gel, teammates must be open to learn from one another, regardless of color, creed, age and rage.  A most telling moment comes when the interns are told to group themselves into competing teams.  Nobody wants the dinosaurs, and so they have no choice but to team up with the three other rejects: a reserved Indian girl, a brooding Caucasian, and a Chinese guy with mommy issues.  Guess which team wins?  Of course, the one you want to win.

Despicable me 2

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LEAD CAST:  Voice of – Steve  Carell, Kristen Wiig, Berjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, Steve Coogan, Ken Jeong  DIRECTOR: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud  SCREENWRITER:  Cinco Pual, Ken Daurio  PRODUCER:  Christ Meledandri, Janet Healy  EDITOR:  Gregory Perler  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Pharrell Williams, Heitor Pereira  GENRE: Animation, Kids & Family, Comedy  RUNNING TIME:  98 minutes  DISTRIBUTOR:  Universal Studio  LOCATION:  US

Technical assessment:  3

Moral assessment:  3

CINEMA ating: PG 13  with parental guidance

Formerly bad villain Gru (Steve Carrell) has mellowed towards complete reformation as he tries to live a rather normal life, taking care of his adopted daughters and transforming his previously evil lab to start a jam and jelly business. But he just can’t resist going back to the scene when the Anti-Villain League, an organization dedicated to tracking villainous plots, recruits him to help them find and identify a new mysterious villain who has just stolen an entire Antarctic lab, and is now in possession of a very powerful yet dangerous toxic compound. Gru is paired up with agent Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig), and together, they go undercover in a shopping mall, hoping to track down the supervillain who poses as a mall tenant.

            Despicable Me 2 doesn’t quite live up to the legacy and sentiment of the original installment.  What was a previously fresh premise of “villainy as a norm” has turned into a quite predictable and  uninspired franchise. The narrative and the characters do not go beyond being merely functional as the film tries hard to lead its story towards the obligatory happy ending. The film does not tackle the central conflict of a villain struggling to reform in a society that fights evil with evil. The film entirely lacks the surprise element particularly, the revelation of the mysterious villain. However, Despicable Me 2 still delivers a few laughs and thrills, thanks to the diminutive yellow minions who provide much of the humor in the film. Their presence makes the film an enjoyable treat. The voice acting remain strong amidst the weak material and the animation is still flawless.

             Although an animated feature, Despicable Me 2 predominantly tackles an adult theme of villainy, espionage, and romantic relationships. Given these, scenes of violence cannot be avoided no matter how sanitized and funny the set-ups are. Those scenes result in slapsticks and crude humor. The minions and poop jokes are able to elicit laughter from the young audience, and much of it is rather neutral and harmless.  Looking at the larger context, Gru’s character transformation from a seemingly bad villain to a good spy is commendable. This is further reinforced when he takes the role of a father to three girls. He becomes overly protective when one of his daughters starts to fall in love with someone whom he finds totally incompatible. Towards the end of the feature, the good still triumphs over evil and family and love relationships remain to be a powerful force even in a world dominated by villains. But then again, given the theme and adult humor, CINEMA deems Despicable Me 2 as fit for audiences 13 years old and below, with parental guidance.

Wolverine

CAST:  Hugh Jackman, Rila Fukushima , Tao Okamoto, Haruhiko Yamanouchi  DIRECTOR:  James Mangold  SCREENWRITER:  Mark Bomback, Scott Frank  PRODUCER:  Joseph M. Caracciolo Jr., Hugh Jackman, Hutch Parker, Lauren Shuler Donner  EDITOR:  Michael McCusker  MUSIC:  Marco Beltrami  GENRE:  Action, Adventure, Fantasy  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Ross Emery RUNNING TIME:  126 minutes  DISTRIBUTOR:   20th Century Fox  LOCATION:  Japan, Australia

Technical assessment:  3.5

Moral assessment:  2.5

MTRCB Rating: PG 13

CINEMA rating:  V 14

Logan, a.k.a. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is saved by and in turn saves a Japanese officer during the bombing of Nagasaki in World War II.  Determined to give up his fighting ways, the solitary Logan lives in anguish deep in the Canadian forests, burdened by his immortality and haunted by dreams and nightmares of his deceased lover, fellow mutant Jean Grey (Famke Janssen).  Before he can slash dead the toughies he encounters in a local bar, he is stopped by a young Japanese woman, Yukio (Rila Fukushima), who has been tracking him on the orders of her master, Yashida, the man Logan had saved during the war.  Master Yashida (Haruhiko Yamanouchi) is now the most powerful businessman in Japan, but is dying and wants to thank Logan in his dying bed.  Logan reluctantly agrees to travel to Japan “only for one day”, but soon discovers that what Yashida really wants is the Wolverine’s immortality—which he asks Logan to transfer to his body.

            Wolverine is a refreshing change from superhero movies that rely heavily on computer-created monstrosities for impact.  Although there is towards the end a Robocop-like character that Logan must fight to death, most of the combat scenes involve people, real people whose fighting skills are enhanced by good choreography and crisp editing.  The story also makes it easier for the viewer to resonate with the characters because it has a here-and-now flavor and highlights struggles caused by human frailties such as greed, hunger for power, etc.  Consider it a bonus that most of the action takes place in Japan , where “nothing is without meaning”—for then the film gets to offer the viewer some insights and glimpses of a “different” culture, a 180-degree turn from the usual gangster movies shot in Chicago or New York.  The man-to-man chase on top of a speeding bullet train, particularly, teases the viewer to watch out for the “The Making of Wolverine” feature. 

            Wolverine highlights man’s appreciation of life and earthly power.  The self-preservation instinct is shown to be stronger than cultural conditioning, as demonstrated by a soldier’s unwillingness to commit hara-kiri when honor demands.  A healthy love of life, however, is corrupted by the lust for power which leads to one’s obsession to attain immortality.  But what for is power when one has to kill even one’s own child in order to possess it?  Why want to live longer when faced with an endless life of killing?  All told, Wolverine is a movie with a heart.  Warn teens, though: sex between unmarried persons is taken for granted here.  And there are no cops in sight, at least to count the bodies thrown out of trains, slashed, maimed, taken down by swords or arrows.  Well, perhaps mutants and martial artists scare them out of the scene.

Turbo

LEAD CAST:  Voices of Ryan Reynolds, Snoop Dogg, Bill Hader, Samuel Jackson, Maya Rudolf

DIRECTOR: David Soren  SCREENWRITER: Darren Lemke, David Soren and Robert Siegel  PRODUCER:  Lisa Stewart  EDITOR:  Noellen Westcombe  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Henry Jackman  GENRE:  Animation, family adventure  RUNNING TIME: 96 minutes  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Chris Stover  DISTRIBUTOR:  20th Century Fox

Technical assessment:  3.5

Moral assessment:  2

MTRCB rating:  GP

CINEMA rating:  PG 13

            In a tomato patch in the garden of a suburban Los Angeles home lives a colony of snails whose days consist of consuming tomatoes to sustain themselves, and avoiding snail killers like crows, lawnmowers, and bike-riding brats.  Here we find Theo (Ryan Reynolds) who is dissatisfied with his lot, finds the snail life too slow, and longs for speed.  Theo’s spare time is spent sneaking into the garden shed to watch tapes of car races, finding special thrill in those won by his idol Guy Gagne (Bill Hader) whom he naturally wants to imitate.  Theo’s sensible older brother Chet (Paul Giamatti) advises him:  “The sooner you accept the dull, miserable nature of your existence, the happier you’ll be,” but Theo is deaf to it.  One night, fascinated by the automotive traffic he watches from an overpass railing, he falls and eventually gets sucked into a speeding vehicle’s fuel tank.  This turns the garden snail into a mighty mollusk, and from then on he would be called “Turbo”. 

            Life from the point of view of garden snails is sensitively rendered in the footages covering the tomato patch, effectively moving human imagination to empathize with the slow-moving creatures.  How awful it must be to exist only to survive from day to day, waiting for a ripe tomato to tumble down your path so you can eat, and learning the perfect moment to tuck and roll in order to avoid being killed!  On that premise, director David Soren, with fellow scriptwriters Darren Lemke and Robert Siegel, tries to justify a success story starring a small and weak character who’s thought to be incapable of greatness.  Don’t be surprised to hear “Eye of the tiger” theme from Rocky III in Turbo’s thumping soundtrack—that’s because Turbo evokes the spirit of Rocky Balboa in the way it champions the underdog in this fanciful animation.

            Turbo may be one of two movies showing at present without murders, homicides, the elimination of one’s enemies, or the annihilation of the human race, but it doesn’t mean it’s as wholesome as Cinderella.  It’s a whimsical tale of two sets of brothers—human and snail.  In either set, there is the realistic brother—believing in hard, repetitive work, accepting of reality, trying to talk sense into his more ambitious sibling—and the brother who dreams big and will try the untried in order to rise above his boring situation.  Contrasting values are well-presented, as though to leave the audience to themselves to take sides, but as the story develops it becomes apparent that the balance is tilted to favor the brothers who dream big and see their dream come true against all odds.   Because of the victory of Turbo, the taco brothers and the other shop owners in their neighborhood are able to improve their businesses.  

            In guiding your children through this movie, at least two things merit a careful glance: first, the supernatural powers the snail got from substances it would not normally ingest to nourish itself.  In the human experience there are chemicals that could produce a similar effect on users—making them feel they are superhuman and can fly and be invincible—and the illegal use of them is a crime.  Such use of boosting chemicals may look funny, even adorable, on a snail, but how will your imitative kids discern the difference?  Will it not send a message to children that in order to be strong or an achiever you have to imbibe of forbidden substances?

            Second:  Tito, the lazy brother in the taco stand, and the other shop owners bettered their lot through gambling.  They gambled—they did not think of changing their work attitudes, or of creative ways to improve their service, to upgrade their skills, or to offer higher quality goods to customers—they gambled.  What is this saying about hard and honest work?  What is to stop them (in possible a sequel) from egging Turbo on to another Indianapolis 500 race, investing in a sport that endangers the snail’s life while hoping to win more quick bucks?

            Imagine how different the story would be if Turbo got his powers from a pool of tomato juice (yes, like Popeye who got his muscles from downing canned spinach), and dreamed of things that would benefit the snail community (instead of competing in a sports that wastes the earth’s resources).  Then maybe, just maybe, CINEMA would give Turbo a GP rating, but as it is, we recommend strict parental guidance, even to adults who wouldn’t see anything suspicious in cartoons.

Before midnight

Cast: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy; Direction: Richard Linklaster; Story and Screenplay: Richard Linkleater, Ethan Hawk, Julie Delpy; Cinematography: Christos Voudouris;  Editing: Sandra Adair;  Music: Graham Reynolds; Producers: Richard Linklater, Christos Konstantakopoulos; Genre: Drama; Running Time: 109 minutes; Location: Greece; Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics

Technical assessment : 4

Moral assessment: 3

MTRCB rating:  R 16

CINEMA Rating: V 18

In 1995, Celine and Jesse meet for the first time, flirt with each other as they stroll along the streets of Vienna but go separate ways before sunrise. In 2004, Celine and Jesse, now in their 30s meet again in Paris, eager to find out and pick up where they left 9 years ago but unfortunately can’t because of each other’s commitment to someone else. Again, we see them part ways before sunset. Today, Celine  (Julie Delpy) and Jesse are (Ethan Hawke) blessed with lovely 9-year-old twin daughters after they got back together sometime after their second meeting. Presently, they are ending their Greek vacation and struggling not to do the same to their relationship as issues about parenting, career, responsibilities and commitment are brought up and argued about. Before Midnight is the third  instalment of what is now a classic love story that surprisingly works despite being a series of scenes with “talking heads”. While Before Sunrise presented romance and courtship and Before Sunset brought forth the pain of love that could not be, Before Midnight shares the story of commitment, marriage and reconciling differences.

There has never been a movie that manages to keep its audience interestingly glued to just two people talking about their mundane personal life while watching through the windshield for a full 15-20 minutes. For those who journeyed with the couple’s love story for the last 18 years, this movie presents another phase of their story as they move from being carefree young lovers to parents struggling with responsibilities. For those who are watching the movie for the first time with no clue of their history, the movie is a slice of life featuring no intellectual conversations between spouses that need to be understood in an intellectual manner. The movie has no real conflict or drama and makes no pretentions to come up with one but it unfolds the melodramas of a relationship, a woman’s angst and a husband’s frustrations and each other’s resentments of failed expectations and personal disappointments. At one point, the conversation drifts from silly exchanges of historical data and hypothetical questions then slowly builds up to arguments about fears of giving up one’s life against disappointing one’s partner.

The movie works its magic with two of its strongest munitions: a great script and a greater performance. First, the script is conversationally emphatic. Simple and ordinary as the issues may seem, it is impossible not to see where Celine or Jesse is coming from. The build-up and the plateau of arguments are so cleverly directed. And best, the exchanges allows the audience to understand the personality, background and motivations of the characters. Second, Hawke and Delpy deliver genuine passion and bounce off undeniable chemistry. Together, the script and the actors deliver a powerful piece of movie everyone can understand and relate to. 

Every mature couple should try to watch the film as it not only shows how honest and loving communication keeps the marriage alive despite all the personality differences and marital issues challenging the relationship. The movie is very real because most of the time, what destroys relationship are not the big problems that blow in the face but the small complications that go unnoticed and unresolved. The movie also offers lovely insights about life and commitment—the most valuable being the need to be constantly working on being a source of love and happiness to one’s partner. Love in Before Midnight goes beyond romance and the fairy tale but dumps  real issues intertwined with the desire to continue to grow together and sort out differences as a team. It teaches couples to agree to disagree,  to respect each other’s roles, and to remain faithful despite the challenges of raising a family.

There are scenes and ideas that may not be well taken by the very conservative and may be  misunderstood by the very young. For instance, how Celine scoffs at the sacrament of marriage, the constant cursing, fidelity issues, and irreverent sexual jokes. Considering that Before Midnight focuses on a serious commitment, and presents footage of unwedded sexual intimacy, the film would be better suited for mature adults.

Pacific Rim

Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day; Direction: Guillermo del Toro; Screenplay: Travis Beacham, Guillermo del Toro. Story: Travis Beacham; Editing: Peter Amundson; Producer: Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, etc.; Music: Ramin Djawadi; Genre: Sci-Fi Action; Running Time: 132 minutes;  Distributor: Warner Bros; Location: USA

Technical assessment:  3

Moral assessment:  3

MTRCB rating:  PG 13

CINEMA rating:  V14

In the not-so-distant-future, earth and humanity’s existence is threatened by “kaijus”—giant monsters who emerged from the bottom of the sea. Men built equally gigantic robots to supposedly counter the attacks of the enemies. However, the human-made robots called “jaegers” can only be commandeered by two human pilots whose consciousness are intertwined with each other.  This neural bridging is nicknamed “drifting”.    Eventually, the kaijus adapt to the weaponry and forces the governments to abandon the jaeger program in favor of colossal coastal walls.  But when these efforts prove futile against the increasing smartness of the kaijus, the world governments decide to recall the last four jaegers and the best remaining pilots as their final defense. Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba), a combat officer, recalls retired pilot Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam) who lost his brother, Yancy (Klattenhoff), during one of their battles. Raleigh is teamed up with Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), Pentecost’s adopted daughter who also lost her family to the kaijus. Now faced in the fight for the survival of the entire human race, the pilots must learn to trust each other, let go of past hurts, and open up their souls for a more effective and synchronized control of the jaegers.

Pacific Rim is a visual feast and triumph for its genre.  This is an undeniable fact but other than the gigantic feat, the movie is a cold and emotionless as the metals and steels constantly clashing on screen. There are two spectacular scenes for the testosterone-filled audience—the opening scene where the entire premise of the plot is dumped before opening credits roll, and the very predictable final battle. Everything in between is problematic. While del Toro tries hard to be original and to present something different, shades of characters and situations from other successful films resonate so loudly. (Think Independence Day, Godzilla, Transformers, Battleship, and every other end of the world, alien attack, post apocalypse movies). The characters were given little background stories to make the film interesting and relatable but bland acting and overly complicated characterizations and storylines make the film challenging to digest with all the metal clanging and explosions. The movie pays more attention to producing ostentatious CGI action than to character development. In spite of the director’s good intestions, the viewer may feel like he’s watching a videogame—a very long one. The body count is high as expected yet you don’t feel any loss for anyone of them because of the lack of emotional investment in the characters. Overall, Pacific Rim is visually entertaining but forgettable and inexpressive.

There are several attempts to provide morality and redemptive content in the film. Teamwork, empathy, overcoming differences, and cooperation are strong values emphasized with the need to intertwine mind and spirits to be able to overcome evil (read operate the jaegers).  Self-sacrifice for the common good and the value of life are also highlighted. There are even strong references to God in some of the dialogues. However, amidst all the scary action, violence, destruction, and foul language, del Toro’s desire not to desensitize 12-year-old boys falls short. The movie is just too loud and destructive for the audience to hear the positive messages Pacific Rim brings. Parents are strongly cautioned in allowing their young children (it is supposed that boys will be most attracted to this genre) on their own.  No doubt del Toro wanted to drive home a moral point for the kids to ponder, but awed by the medium—metal giants and marine monsters—young children will surely miss the message. 

The bling ring

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LEAD CAST:  Israel Broussard, Katie Chang, Taissa Farmiga, Claire Julien, Georgia Roack, Emma Watson, Leslie Mann  DIRECTOR:  Sofia Coppola  SCREENWRITER:  Sofia Coppola  PRODUCER:  Roman Coppola, Sofia Coppola, Youree Henley, Francis Ford Coppola  EDITOR:  Sarah Flack  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Brian Reitzell, Daniel Lopatin  CINEMATOGRAPHERS:  Christopher Blauvelt, Harris Savides RUNNING TIME:  90 minutes  DISTRIBUTOR:  A24  LOCATION:  US

Technical assessment:  3

Moral assessment:  2

MTRCB rating:  R 16

CINEMA rating:  V 18

Based on a true story as told in The Suspect Wore Louboutins, a Vanity Fair article published in 2009, The Bling Ring details the sorties of a group of celebrity-fixated Los Angeles teens into celebrities’ homes.  Nicki Moore (Emma Watson), Marc Hall (Israel Broussard), Chloe Tayner (Claire Julien), and Sam Moore (Taissa Farmiga), led by ring leader Rebecca Ahn (Katie Chang), use the internet to track the whereabouts of Hollywood stars in order to break into their homes and ransack the stars’ wardrobes for luxury brands—to wear, to sell, and to flaunt in social media.  Their daring comes to an end as one of them is identified through CCTV recordings, making it easy for the others to be fall into the hands of the law. How do these teens react when found guilty?

Directed by Sofia Coppola, this black comedy crime-drama exposes the dirty details of the real-life obsession of the so-called Burglar Bunch through sepia-colored footage, making it appear “documentary-ish”.  It helps, too, that three of the lead actors are newcomers and the rest have few credits to their names—except Watson of the Harry Potter fame, who incidentally gives a sterling against-type performance here.  Watson, for the longest time known as the brainy, no-nonsense Hermione in the J. K. Rowling series, here plays a pathetic, shallow, if not altogether dumb, bling-crazy fan.

The Bling Ring possesses value from the sociological standpoint.  It offers a study of the young people’s mind and behavior: how far will their celebrity-obsession push them to satisfy their craving for instant gratification? Do they feel entitled to their idols’ riches because these idols owe their fame and fortune to their fans’ adulation? It also tries to ask what kind of people celebrities are who fill their houses to the rafters with pricey baubles and then leave them unattended.  There is also a message for parents here, as the movie shows that the kids who break into homes come from broken homes themselves.  These young people are devoid of conscience, steal on impulse, and then Tweet about their exploits for the whole world to see. They rob the homes, do drugs, party wearing their stolen stuff at the very places frequented by their victims, and then post snap shots of these on Facebook.  Do they do this because they are monumentally dumb, or to attract police attention, be caught, and become celebrities themselves?  And what about their friends who think their crimes are cool?  The movie is also a statement on the current culture: time was when the precious box under the bed contained our parents’ love letters, beribboned and yellowing proofs of love.  In The Bling Ring, the precious box under the bed contains designer watches, because what matters now is not who people are but what they have.  Coppola deliberately holds judgment here, preferring to simply call our attention to the way we are now, and perhaps to make us think where we are going.

White House down

--> LEAD CAST: Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jason Clarke, Richard Jenkins, James Woods  DIRECTOR:  Roland Emmerich  SCREENWRITER: James Vanderbilt  PRODUCER:  Roland Emmerich, Bradley J. Fischer  EDITOR:  Adam Wolfe  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Harald Kloser, Thomas Wanker  GENRE: Drama, Action, Adventure  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Anne Foerster  RUNNING TIME:   137 minutes  DISTRIBUTOR:  Columbia Pictures  LOCATION:  US, Canada

Technical Assessment:  3.5

Moral Assessment:  2.5

MTRCB Rating: PG13

CINEMA Rating: V14

John Cale (Channing Tatum), a police officer detailed to the Speaker of the House, is working out a relationship with his politics-savvy daughter Emily Cale (Joey King). In his effort to impress Emily, John brings her along to the White House when he applies for the Presidential Secret Agent position. But John does not get the job and this worries him because Emily has high expectation of him, so he chooses to lie and tells her that he is hired. At the time of John’s application, US President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) is under criticism on his proposal to retrieve the military forces in the Middle East.  Father and daughter are still inside the White House when an explosion occurs and puts the city capitol under siege of coup d’etat led by former Secret Agent Martin Walker (James Wood).  Emily is in the restroom during this chaos in the Whitehouse. Realizing the danger for his daughter, John manages to skip the captors and searches for Emily but he instead finds the President under hostage by Walker. He rescues the president and the two of them find the way out. After ensuring the escape of the President, John stays behind to search for Emily.  Amidst the fearful situation, Emily manages to take a video of the terrorists inside Whitehouse and uploads it onto her video blog which leads to the exposure of the culprits. The terrorists discover what she did and become madly on watch of her.  

White House Down has an overused theme of power grab by unsatisfied colleagues with orchestrated bombings, hostage taking and senseless killings. The saving grace of the story was the heroic deeds of father and daughter in the name of national interest.  The good plot development highlighted this aspect.  The director did a good job in his treatment of the story particularly injecting humor in some highly tensioned scenes. The acting and characterization were commendable. There was meaningful delivery of dialogues by the actors. The production design was a real treat to the viewers. The cinematography and composition keep up with the interesting scenes with compliments of special effects as applied to aerial, firing, explosions and chasing scenes.  Technically the film is above average.

Every person grows and never stays stagnant in the different aspects of life. So John Cale was right when he said in an interview scene that he has changed and that he was not the same person as reflected in the school records. But he was not still considered for the job. In our society, there are people who are misjudged and deprived of opportunities. Yet despite the humiliating experience of John during the interview he still did the right thing when called for and used his skills to protect the President and the interest of the state.  Vindication came to John when he succeeded in his accidental mission to save the President and the US government from the hands of traitors.   A dedicated father does everything and is willing to sacrifice his life for his children, and so was Cale to his daughter Emily. When there were opportunities to run away and free himself, he chose to stay and not to leave without her. The two of them shined in this chaotic situation as heroes. John used his skills in security and protection measures while Emily used her skills in social media to expose the villains by uploading her video on internet, helping authorities resolve the crisis.  Young people who are adept social media may get an idea of how they can make a difference by being responsible users. 

A traitor who has no respect for peace and precious life has no place in the society. While conflicts over a high profile decision such as peace treaty is a reality, this should not be a reason to stage a violent take over compromising the innocent lives and the interest of the entire nation.  The film values family bond particularly between a parent and a child as the main theme.  But the entire run is stressful.  Since a greater part of the movie shows violence and senseless killings of people, CINEMA finds the movie disturbing and rates it for mature audiences aged 14 and above.