LibreViews

Bloody bling Review by Vives Anunciacion Directed by Edward Zwick Written by Charles Leavitt Starring Leonardo Di Caprio, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly R13/ 138 minutes Warner Brothers *** (3 stars) In the 1990s, rebels in the African country of Sierra Leone illegally mined and traded diamonds to finance their war against their government. In Blood Diamond, Leo DiCaprio plays a gem smuggler engaged in the trade and Djimon Hounsou plays one of the rebels’ mining slaves who discovers a rare pink diamond. Both actors deliver brilliant performances, even if the movie’s storytelling requires some polishing of its own. Against a backdrop of poverty and Africa’s beautiful landscapes (captured in beautiful cinematography), Director Edward Zwick melodramatizes (quite commonly with his message films like Glory, Courage Under Fire and Last Samurai) the issue of “conflict diamonds” – diamonds mined in war zones then sold illegally to finance and sustain the insurgency. DiCaprio plays Danny Ar...

Enter the dragon Review by Vives Anunciacion Directed by Stefen Fangmeier Based on the novel by Christopher Paolini Starring Ed Speleers, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Guillory G / 104 minutes 20th Century Fox ** ½ stars (2 ½ stars) It’s like Star Wars and Harry Potter with a little Lord of the Rings, and instead of riding x-wings or broomsticks it’s riding dragons. Eragon, at the very least, has marvelous costumes. Lots of it. Behold the most fasyon fantasy adventure for kids. An orphan teenager, Eragon (newcomer Ed Speleers) discovers his destiny as Alagaesia’s last dragon rider after he finds and raises a blue dragon, which he calls Sephira (voiced by Rachel Weisz.) Jeremy Irons plays his mentor Brom, who trains Eragon to be a rider and instructs him on his quest to join the rebel force Vardens and free Alagaesia from the dark rule of lord Galbatorix (John Malkovich.) First, Eragon must rescue the elf princess Arya (Sienna Guillory) who was responsible for teleporting the dragon egg to Erag...

Little darlin’ Review by Vives Anunciacion Directed by Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris Starring Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell. Abigail Breslin 99 minutes/ R13 Fox Searchlight Exclusive at Ayala Cinemas *** ½ (3 ½ stars) I found this movie uproariously engaging for many reasons, but mainly because there on the screen was an exaggerated version of my own crazy family. In the movie, the Hoovers are a nutty bunch of unfulfilled losers on the brink of disintegration. Little Miss Sunshine is an irreverent road trip of dysfunction as a family struggles to keep itself intact despite the seemingly unending series of misfortunes that comes in its way. Daddy Richard (Greg Kinnear) is a failed motivational speaker who can’t motivate his own self to get a real job. Alan Arkin delivers the most memorable and hilarious lines as the foul-mouthed, heroin-addicted Grandpa. In contrast, the talented Ms. Toni Collette is underutilized as a former divorcee and Richard’s new wife Sheryl. Funnyma...

Ante-Bond Review by Vives Anunciacion Directed by Martin Campbell Based on the character created by Ian Fleming Starring Daniel Craig, Eva Green 144 minutes/ PG 13 Sony Pictures/ Columbia Pictures *** 1/2 (3 1/2 stars) After 21 outings, it still represents the grand male fanstasy – crisp clothing, hot cars, lots of gadgets and hot women. But Casino Royale also reshapes James Bond to a new level of seriousness since Timothy Dalton played a darker Bond in License to Kill (1989). Welcome the lean, mean, but emotional, machine. Of all actors who delivered the introduction, “The name is Bond, James Bond.” Daniel Craig’s physique makes him the most believable person to accomplish the physically demanding missions of Agent 007 (let’s see – Pierce Brosnan was too pretty, Roger Moore too stiff; Sean Connery was great too, but first we had to understand his Scottish. That leaves George Lazenby who quit after On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) and Timothy Dalton who’s as charismatic as a gran...

Wala nang next time (in filipino) Rebyu ni Vives Anunciacion Documentary ni Davis Guggenheim Featuring Al Gore 100 minutes/ GP United International Pictures Showing exclusively at SM Megamall and Mall of Asia **** (4 stars) Hindi pa uso sa Pilipinas ang global warming, pero base sa pelikulang ito, walang lugar sa mundo ang hindi apektado nito, at tayo ang dahilan kung bakit ito nagaganap. Manood at makinig, dahil ito na yata ang pinakamahalagang mensahe para sa ating henerasyon. Unti-unti nang umiinit ang klima ng mundo at tao ang salarin. Sa pamamagitan ng mga chart at graphs, pinaliliwanag ni Al Gore, muntik na presidente ng US, ang pagtaas ng temperatura sa atmosphere at ocean surface sa nakaraang ilang taon, dala ng pagdami ng carbon dioxide at iba pang greenhouse gases. Kumakapal ang mga ito sa atmosphere dahil sa masibang paggamit ng tao ng fossil fuels (langis, gas at uling) pagkakaingin at pagsasaka. Amerika ang pinakamalaking salarin, na nagbubuga ng 36% ng total carbon dioxid...

Review by Vives Anunciacion Happy Feet Directed by George Miller Featuring the voices of Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Robin Williams 98 minutes/ GP Warner Brothers **** (4 stars) It started with Madagascar and then with March of the Penguins (locally known as Penguin, Penguin, Paano Ka Ginawa? – by god, who on earth thought of that title), penguins are now officially the cutest animals on earth. In ice-covered Antarctica, Mumble Happy Feet (Elijah Wood) was born to dance and not to sing. His parents (Norma Jean, voiced by Nicole Kidman, and Memphis, voiced by Hugh Jackman) know that he will find it difficult to fit in with the rest of the penguins in Emperor Land, much less find his true love, if he doesn’t find and sing his heart song. Realizing that Mumble’s oddity can disrupt their harmony, Noah the Elder (Hugo Weaving) banishes Mumble from Emperor Land, accusing him of being the reason why the fish has become scarce. Travelling across Antarctica in sea...

(in filipino) Rebyu ni Vives Anunciacion Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan Directed by Larry Charles Starring Sacha Baron-Cohen R:18 / 82 minutes Twentieth Century Fox **** (4stars) Barok siya kung mag-Ingles, pero parang tayo rin pag dinurugo na sa tainga kakausap sa mga dayuhang bisita dito sa atin. See Borat. See Borat movie film. Pwede na ba Ingles ko? Si Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron-Cohen, mas kilala bilang Ali-G) ay isang TV reporter na inatasang mag-observe sa kulturang Amerika at gumawa ng documentary para sa ikauunlad ng bansang Kazakhstan (dating probinsiya ng nasirang U.S.S.R.) Mula New York hanggang Los Angeles, maghahasik si Borat ng lagim at katatawanan upang ipapakita ang ibang anyo ng pamumuhay sa Amerika na di madalas ipakita ng Hollywood o ng CNN. Isa itong mockumentary o isang pekeng dokumentaryo na pinapakita ang “normal” na kulturang Amerikano sa mata ng isang foreigner. Sa isang banda maaaring ganito rin ang maging ...