calvin reviewed Buried (2010)

Surprisingly efficient little gem

The premise is quite simple. Guy is trapped in a wooden box for the duration of the movie. Only one person is ever shown (except a little mobile phone video). That person is Ryan Reynolds. Somehow he makes it work. He's efficient and believable as an Iraq contractor (truck driver) who wakes up in a coffing buried to the ground and panics, cried, gets angry, negociates via phone etc.. ...

calvin reviewed Dear John (2010)

Dear Johning the world

I expected this to be really bad but it wasn't as bad... I loved Channing Tatum in A guide to recognize your saints so he is capable of other things besides showing off his bod. I am yet to decide whether I actually like Amanda Seyfried but she is definitely one to watch. The movie is pretty standard... nothing surprising but if there ever in these types of movies. Mediocre ...

calvin reviewed Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire (2009)

Precious... but not excellent

I don't know what I expected really. I've read the excellent, tho heavy book my Sapphire called Push, and the movie is quite a faithful adaptation of the novel where she tells the story of a 16 year old Black girl expecting her second child by her father. Heavy topic and even heavier-weight performances especially by comedy actress Mo'nique as Precious's abusing mother, this is one of the Oscar front runners. I can see some awards hitting for the acting there but it is not a "nice" story by any means ...

calvin reviewed 2012 (2009)

2012

I was not expecting very much besides excellent special effects since that's what Ronald Emmerich does best. Why anyone would still be giving him 200 mil for a movie is beyond me but I guess it's still somewhat appealing.

The movie itself is what the trailer prescribes, yucky sentimental mush where the end of the world comes with enormous waves and earthquakes and yes, the Americans end up being heroes in their own mind ...

calvin reviewed Revolutionary Road (2008)

Like watching your parents battle it out til the very bitter end

I guess this is THE movie in the news everywhere at the moment, the re-teaming of Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio for the first time since Titanic 12 years ago. Although it wasn't really a pleasant watch, I can say I was blown away by their performances. I've always been a fan of Kate Winslet but she's definitely worth any award coming her away from from her performance as April, as aspiring actress who gives up her career and trades it in for a that white house and kids in the ...

calvin reviewed Australia (2008)

Australia

The film is actually a pretty good movie. Or rather two movies. It is like two short movies squeezed in to one. First one being about this English lady Ashley (played by the ever-so-aloof Nicole Kidman) arriving to Australia to sell their ranch Faraway Downs, after her hubby has been killed and ends up doing the cattle run her self. The cattle run and the mandatory sabotage attempts and her progression from this high class lady in to the blossoming real woman. At the same time the harsh outback of Australia ...

calvin reviewed Disaster Movie (2008)

Disaster Movie

Crap, just utter crap. I don't know why I even bother watching these movies. They are NOT funny. I like the idea of making parodies but they don't work.

calvin reviewed Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Slumdog Millionaire

A couple of my friends have told me this is the Kite Runner of 2008 and although I can kinda see what he's saying, I think it's closer to "City of God" from a few years ago. What's similar in the movies is the portrayal of children in poor, third world countries and how hard it's been to grow up in the seventies and eighties where they are whether it's in the midst of poverty or drugs or guns.

calvin reviewed Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

First off I must confess I watched this movie solely because of Kristen Bell(She of Veronica Mars fame since the show is in the top 3 of my all-time best shows) who plays Sarah Marshall, who's character is leading lady in a CSI type show on telly. The only other things I knew about it was the praised full frontal dump scene that starts the movie off. Before I start I must say that I'm yet to discover why it's funny. I thought it was just sad, I felt so bad ...

calvin reviewed Transformers (2007)

Transformers

I don't know why it took me so long to finally get myself to watch this movie. It's not like I was expecting it to be bad. If there's something that Michael Bay is good at it's making entertaining action.

Beautiful shots all over, great battlescenes with all the trimmings and explosions necessary for the battle of the control of the cube between the Autobots and Decepticons make the almost 2.5 hours fly by ...

calvin reviewed P.S. I Love You (2007)

P.S. I Love You

I'm not a huge fan of rom coms, but this one I watched because it seemed appropriate for the company I had over. It's an intriguing movie, I mean it's nothing new really about in this worn out genre that rarely produces big flabbing failures or genuine gems. This one is kind of moving in it's own way. HIlary Swank plays th woman who loses her man (played by Gerald Butler) and receives letters from him with instuctions what to do and where to go. This leads to a journey of ...

calvin reviewed Sex and Death 101 (2007)

Sex and Death 101

Just stupid. A story about a man (Simon Baker) preparing to get married, who receives a list of 101 women he supposedly has or will have sex with during his lifetime. So of course he needs to go through it and track all of them down before said marriage. And of course he discovers something about himself on the way. If I have to come up with something good, at least its not very graphic.

calvin reviewed The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)

The Jane Austen Book Club

Harmless fun. These rom coms are always the same. I thought the female ensemble cast might be able to capture something genuine and funny but not really. It was already. Like bland wall paper. You don't really notice or remember later on.

calvin reviewed The Dark Knight (2008)

The Dark Knight

Everyone's always raving about this movie and it's not completely undeserved. However I have and had a few issues with it. First of all it never ends. It feels like there's at least a dozen endings to the movie and it felt sooo long! Honestly I was bored. Also I didn't like Christian Bale in this one as much as I did in the previous one. I think they made him too un-likable and just daman gloomy and dark. Also my expectations were quite high after the fantastic Batman Begins.

calvin reviewed Glitter (2001)

Glitter

This movie is sooo funny!!! Much slandered (and with good reason!), this Mariah Carey vehicle has something many similar films don't, namely that is is genuinely hilarious. I mean of course it would be better if it was intentional. Everything about it is just wrong. Bad bad script, bad direction, bad wooden acting. I was surprised anyone gave Mariah a movie role after this and first and foremost there is zero chemisty between the leading couple.

calvin reviewed WiseGirls (2002)

WiseGirls

A nice little movie. The things abotu indie flicks is that quite often they capture something genuine in a way that most big budget studio films never do. This one is no exception. The biggest surprise in this movie is that Mariah Carey can actually act! She was pretty darn good too. Granted it was the only reason I originally saw the movie, she was sooo funny in Glitter I checked this one out just for that. And it was shown at Sundance.

calvin reviewed Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Moulin Rouge!

This moive is worth checking out if only for the snerve Baz Luhrmann has for butchering classics from several decades in the name of love. You can hear the songs from everyone from Nirvana to Queen and Madonna in this pastel coloured story about the bohemian life and first and foremost love.

Nicole Kidman sparkles as Satine, the Courtisan of the famous Moulin Rouge and alongside Ewan McGregor sings the tunes with earnest effort without ...

calvin reviewed Crash (2005)

Crash

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. The ensemble cast for the well written story about prejudices and intolerance work well together to show us how everyone experiences racism in different ways throughout a single day in LA. And I have to confess there's a couple of times when I'm choking up a bit and I never cry in movies ...

calvin reviewed Shooter (2007)

Shooter

Nothing special. I mean the poor boy can't act most of the time. I didn't hate it but it didn't really offer anything new or exciting in any way.

calvin reviewed Superbad (2007)

Superbad

I actually thought it was kind of sweet. Definitely filled with low low humour, but I thought the expressions of friendship was well written and whilst I'm probs too old to find those gags funny (not being a horny teenage boy desperate for drink), it left me feeling pretty decent all and all. Worth watching if you're not looking for anything that requires thinking and like the R Rated humour that particulary team does so well.

calvin reviewed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

I love this movie. Kate Winslet is one of the best actresses around and this is definitely the most commercial film from Michel Gondry. It is so funny and mature and a little sad all at the same time.

calvin reviewed Cruel Intentions (1999)

Cruel Intentions

I love this movie!! Sarah Michelle Gellar is so fantastic as the female Baddy, Reese Witherspoon as the good girl shines brightly and even Ryan Philippe is not half bad. Okay so the story is a bit morally over the place but the young leads carry it throughout fantastically while trying to control each other with sex. The ending kinda sucks but it is a hollywood film so what can you expect. Good stuff. Deffo a classic.

calvin reviewed National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

Harmless. Diane Kruger looks fantastic as always and the movie is not bad, it's just not that great either. Worth the watch but not the movie ticket with the current prices.

calvin reviewed The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

The Other Boleyn Girl

Pretty insignificant. Both ladies were really good though. They steal the whole movie. After Tudors though, what were they thinkin!?!