Sale on Film

Memento is a very unique story of a man who is on a journey to get revenge on the man who raped and assaulted his wife. Guy Pearce plays, Leonard, the husband who is cursed with the inability to create new memories. He remembers everything that happened up to when his wife was raped. Leonard uses a system of notes and pictures to remind himself of the person he has become and the progress he has made. The film is shot in reverse and it constantly restarting at a point we’ve seen already to explain the part that was missing. Leonard is constantly being plagued by characters who take advantage of his “condition” and use him for their own purposes. By the end of the film Leonard is forced to realize that he has actually been lying to himself about his search for John G. and his wife.
I would have loved the movie if it had a happier ending, but at least they give you all the answers. The way they shot this movie was pretty original, but I can easily see some people loosing interest after a few of the scenes. Memento is definitely the kind of film you need to watch more than once and luckily this was the second time I have seen it. I got a lot more out of this film seeing it for the second time. I remembered the ending being more depressing so I was relieved to see that it ended with a survivalist theme. I would only recommend this movie to people who are not faint of heart. I’ll give Memento a three out of five.

The Hunt for Red October is a great cold war thriller featuring an all-star cast. Sean Connery plays Captain Marko Ramius who has just launched the latest Russian super sub. Sam Neil plays Connery’s second in command, Captain 2nd rank Vasily Borodin. As the Russians leave port and embark on a training mission it becomes clear to the audience that Ramius does not plan on following orders. At the same time the Russians leave for their mission an American sub captained by Bart Mancuso is looking for them. Unfortunately for the Russians the American captain doesn’t know that they intend to defect. As the story unfolds both sides are hesitant to act, as any attacks would mean the beginning of World War 3.
This movie was a great relief to me. Finally I could watch a movie that was plain and simple yet entertaining. I enjoyed the acting in this movie throughout the entire cast. A lot of my classmates complained about the special effects in this movie, but I was not bothered by the effects. The sound effects were probably the most effective part in this movie, and the lightning was particularly good. I think they could have given more insight into the Russian culture especially from the military standpoint. I would have found it interesting to hear what the consequences would have been for the Russian crewmen who were picked up by the Americans. Although it got cheesy at times, this is still a good movie. I would recommend this movie to any who is even slightly interested in Russian culture or the Cold War; 3 out of 5 stars.

The Fall is an incredibly imaginative film about a recovering stuntman who just lost the love of his life to the star of his last movie and a little girl who saves him from killing himself. Roy, the stuntman, meets this girl originally to have her steal extra morphine for him. The little girl, Alexandria, goes to see Roy everyday to be entertained by his unique storytelling skills. As the stories get longer and more in depth the audience is introduced to several characters that Alexandria knows in real life and you see the story Roy tells through Alexandria’s imagination. The incredible landscapes and scenes we see throughout Roy’s story are very impressive and beautiful.
This was a great movie. The acting in this movie was perfect. The way they show you the story through Alexandria’s imagination and how even at times she tells or changes the story is great. Tarsem Singh did an incredible job with the scenes during the story and developing the characters throughout the film. I would recommend this film to anyone. It might not be a real family film because of some of the violence but it’s close enough in my book.

Enlightened Blood is a great sci-fi mystery movie about a set of characters who temporarily share their consciousness with another person. As these people return to their own minds they retain the memories of the person they “visited.” It is unclear whether or not the protagonist is a person or a spirit drifting uncontrollably through the minds of others. As the plot moves on it becomes less and less clear what or why this is happening to these people. As some of these characters try to find some answers to their questions about their situation through a doctor it becomes clear that they all have something unique about their blood. Unfortunately, there is never any clear resolution or answers as to what is happening, but the final person to house this entity tries to explain his lives at the end of the film.
I have mixed opinions about this movie. I was getting incredible frustrated by the complete lack of explanation and drive for an explanation by the characters in the first hour of this movie but the final thoughts of the ‘spirit’ made up for it. The message I got out of this movie is that there are a lot of things in our lives that we can’t control we just have to make the best out of what we have, and that is a message I really like. I wouldn’t recommend this movie to very many people because of how slow and bizarre this movie is and its depressing ending.

Sleep Dealer is a Sci-fi movie that makes several points about outsourcing jobs and what some people refer to as the military industrial complex. The main character, Memo, is an ordinary Mexican farmer whose main goal is to leave home in search of something better. In Memo’s case that goal is to become a “node worker.” In the futuristic world of Sleep Dealer jobs are outsourced through a complex digital network that allows workers to electronically connect and control robots thousands of miles away. As Memo is hacking into random phone lines one day he stumbles onto a military line and unknowingly becomes labeled a terrorist along with the rest of his family. One day as Memo is out with his brother their home is destroyed along with their father. As Memo leaves to become a node worker he meets several other characters along the way and eventually lashes out at the bordered world he lives in.
This film had a lot of potential. I personally liked the different messages this film had to offer, but I hated the incredibly bad props and special effects in this movie. I think this movie would do a lot better if it had a bigger budget, different writers, and better actors. This good thing about this movie is it shows potential for Alex Rivera who just started his directing career with this movie. I would only recommend this movie to hardcore Sci-fi fans who wouldn’t think twice about the out dated special effects and less than perfect acting.

Let the Right One In is a great film about a vampire and a little boy who just doesn’t fit in. The vampire, Eli, is embodied in a twelve year old girl and Lina Leandersson does a great job of seeming innocent. Oskar, the main character, contrasts to Eli’s character almost perfectly as he is fair skinned with natural blond hair compared to Eli’s sickly looking skin and black hair. As the two characters meet they become friends and help each other overcome each other’s problems. Oskar is constantly being bullied at school and the end of the film has a perfect almost comical resolution to his problems.
I loved this film. The lighting in this film was very impressive; especially since filming in snow causes so many problems for filming in snow. This film could easily be labeled a romantic comedy but I think the vampire part overwhelms the other genres. This film did a great job show what life as a vampire would be like and I loved it. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone. It’s certainly not a family movie because of the violence and deaths in this film so don’t bring anyone too young.

Trans-Siberia is a semi romantic thriller about a man and his wife vacationing in eastern Russia. As the couple travels across the countryside by train they run into a few memorable characters. As the Roy, played by Woody Harrelson, and his wife, Jessie, played by Emily Mortimer, run into another couple from Spain. The couple manages to smuggle drugs into Jessie’s bags as they become ‘close’ friends. As Jessie is getting to know Carlos, Roy meets a friendly cop who is riding along the same route as he and his wife. As the plot moves on the cop, played by Ben Kingsley, discovers the drugs and tries to reveal the truth behind several other missing clues in the couple’s case.
I enjoyed this film a lot. I love the history behind the Russian culture, and this film showcased a lot of Russian culture. The casting in this film was perfect especially in Woody Harrelson’s case as he plays a naïve and oblivious Christian missionary who is married to a not so faithful wife. I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys thrillers or just enjoy Russian culture.

Portrait of Jason is a funny documentary about a male prostitute during a time in the United States where black men and women were forced to deal with intense racism. The only character in this movie is Jason. The film consists of Jason moving around a room telling you stories of his exploits as the film crew continues to provide him with an abundance of alcohol and marijuana. As Jason continues to get more drunk and high he relaxes and becomes more himself. By the end of the film Jason is revealing a lot of personal information about himself and the stories get pretty hilarious.
I like the first half of this film but to be honest its just more of the same thing over and over again. The stories Jason tells are pretty hilarious at times but they are all pretty repetitive. The style of this documentary is also kind of boring because there is never any change in what is going on. The entire film is just one shot of him sitting on a couch, drinking, and telling stories. I wouldn’t recommend this film to that many people unless you’re the kind of person who doesn’t get bored easily.

This film sucks. Helen starts out incredibly slow, and it continues to go even slower and slower until it is finally thankfully over. The plot of this movie revolves around a girl who is asked to help do a reenactment of the final day of a girl who has gone missing. The main character, Joy, realizes she wants a different life, so she decides she is going to become Helen so to speak. Joy was an orphan so she has very little sense of self throughout her life.
There wasn’t a single part of this film that caught your attention except when you realize it was over. I hated this film. It was one of the movies that is specifically made for film buffs who could talk about how it was a great theory but it was just that a theory that sadly didn’t work. I don’t know about the rest of the audience but I am not a movie buff. I enjoy films as much as the next person but I like to talk plainly and I my movies to talk plainly as well. Unless there is a real significant message hidden behind all the tricks of a film I don’t care, and I am willing to bet you wouldn’t care either. Do yourself a favor and don’t go see this movie.

Bigger Than Ben was a great comedy about two friends trying to get as much out of life as they possibly can and they don’t care how they get it. The two main characters, Kobakka and Spiker, are two Russian teenagers who manage to escape their motherland in search of greener pastures. Their goal is to go out and make some easy cash and return to Russia as kings. Originally as they arrive in London they try to stay legit and legal, but they quickly learn that they could make a lot more money if they tried illegal jobs. After Spiker receives his ‘Dear John’ from his girlfriend back home the story takes a turn for the worst. Kobakka is forced to take care of himself and Spiker as Spiker turns to drugs to ease his pain.
This was probably my favorite movie of the festival. I loved the soundtrack and the humor in this film. If you enjoy movies like Snatch or Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels you will love this film. This movie is definitely geared for the young adult male audience but its perfect for us. It’s got sex, drugs, and stealing filled in with plenty of humor in between. The message of this film is also a positive one as Spiker becomes worse and worse Kobakka realizes he has to take care of himself before he can take care of anyone else. I highly recommend this film to any young adults who enjoy comedies; five stars.